


Armored Core: Burning Path

by MrMasher



Series: Armored Core [1]
Category: Armored Core (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Mecha, Post-Apocalypse, Science Fiction, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 14:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 111,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4184100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMasher/pseuds/MrMasher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elijah Thomson is a Raven, a mercenary soldier and pilot of a custom war machine, the Armored Core. Along with other Ravens, they fight for the highest bidder in a world ruled by massive military Corporations. The fragile, false balance of the world is being thrown off and soon, Elijah will be fighting to save everything he holds dear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Everyday Combat

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for any formatting issues, first time posting on AO3!

"Ok, that's the third Gibbon I've seen now"

"No, that's numb- have you even been paying attention?"

"Of course! I just said that's the third I've seen!"

"Then why do I have 5 tagged right now?"

"You're clearly doing something wrong."

"I swear, if I move to your position and spot those two extra Gibbons I'm gonna sm-"

"Elijah, calm down, geeze I just spotted the other two now. Stupid building was in the way."

Elijah sighed, letting his head hang. Thomas had a rather consistent record of missing details but completely missing 2 MTs was not to be brushed aside. He clicked the radio on again, "So we have 5 confirmed Gibbons, what else anything we should be worried about?" Elijah paused for the reply. 

Uhhhhhhhh" Tom's voice crackled back at him, "No that's all I've got for now." While he didn't trust Tom's assessment of the situation entirely, he couldn't exactly find much more to add. As they were both some distance away from their target, their ACs in a low power mode to avoid detection. With his radar running in a passive setting, he could only track active targets at a short distance. Like this, it was best used to notice something moving near you, than trying to search for something any decent distance away. However he knew that keeping a low profile helped avoid detection, another reason this mission was being carried out at night. The darkness allowed them to remain nearly invisible His radio hissed to life again, "Not to sound like I don't know what's happening, but what exactly are we achieving by being here?"

"Honestly", Elijah replied now staring at the radar screen, "I have no idea, we saw the mission, pay looked good, eating is sorta important, as is paying for AC maintenance, so we took it. Not really much else too it." The blip he'd been watching vanished, had it been closer he might have been concerned.

"So what, we just take their money and do what they tell us?"

If he wasn't restrained to the seat he'd have smacked his head onto the monitor in front of him. Clicking the mic on, Elijah said harshly, "Tom, for God's sake how long have you been doing this? Why is it now that you're asking this question? In the middle of a job?" He could almost hear the sound of Tom sulking.

The reply came back quieter than before, "Damn man it was just a thought". As much as Elijah wanted to soothe his guilt by apologising, but the three new signals on his radar caught his attention.  
"Tom, do you have a visual on the three to our 2 o'clock?" While it wasn't exactly a problem, keeping track of any extra forces moving in the area would mean less surprises for them when it came to actually engaging. Tom's voice came back sounding bored.

"Yep, can confirm that's three Mi-24P gunships. Not entirely sure what convinced them to coax them back to life but hey we've got them tagged now, won't be any trouble." Elijah thought for a second after hearing this, _Is this it? Who the hell pays for a two Raven mission when a goddamn rookie could do this._ He opened up a second channel on his radio, "Operator, we're calling it, final tally is five GBN-02s, around a company of infantry with respective vehicles and now three Mi-24P gunships." The reply was nearly instant.

"Alright, you're clear to move then. It's a cake walk so do it fast, clean and come home for a paycheck."

Elijah grinned, "Alrighty! You catch that Tom? We got a green light to go loud." Turning in his seat to a screen off the side, he set about restarting the primary generator.

"Oh don't worry I'm way ahead of you!" The glee in his voice was easy to hear even over the low-power connection. Elijah could hear the dull hum of the generator grow louder as it spooled up. 

"We'll prioritise taking out their long-range communications first, then start on the Gibbons." Elijah told Tom as the last few displays and readouts lit up. "Confirming mission area is one point two klicks to our north. Mission objective, clear mission area of all hostile forces and destroy all critical structures. AC Havok switching to combat mode"

"Confirming mission area", Tom echoed back in acknowledgement, "confirming mission objective. AC Jackhammer switching to combat mode".

Now running at full power, both Havok and Jackhammer rose from their crouched positions. Standing just over ten meters tall, the Armored Core was something that instantly captured everyone's attention on the battlefield, a bipedal machine designed with the sole purpose of not only surviving, but succeeding in all combat situations. Armored Cores are piloted solely by Ravens, people that hire themselves and their custom war machines out to the massive Corporations that run the world today. To offset their considerable cost, Ravens pride themselves on being the undisputed rulers of the battlefield, able to fight as an army onto themselves. The only thing that can reliably take a Raven down, is a better Raven. But due to the close nature of all living together, Ravens place a high value on each other's lives, doing their utmost to only disable, not kill their opponent. 

But today, in this mission, Elijah knew that Thomas and himself were the only two Ravens here, meaning that all targets were fair game. 

Havok's boosters flared to life as it began to slide forwards, carving up tracks into the ground. Elijah's radar marked Jackhammer following closely behind, keeping pace. "Alright Tom, light 'em up!" He janked the controls left and Havok slide smoothly out of the way as Jackhammer's rocket pods rotated into a firing position on its back mounts.

"Two salvos going out!" Tom shouted as he lined Jackhammer up, "Move around the left hand side of the base once the com' tower is down!" Turning to the right slightly, Elijah could see the flashes of rocket fire from the two launchers on Jackhammer's shoulders, rockets tracing brief streaks of light in the dark as they sailed through the air. Only a moment later they impacted, explosions sending shudders through the ground, flashes of light bouncing off the clouds above them, the dull glow of fires starting. Two rockets struck the large steel tower with several dishs on, the explosion ripping the beams apart. In only a moment it buckled, collapsing on itself throwing up dust and fire. Tom had brought the shock, now Elijah could bring the awe.

Shifting Havok's weight right, the AC slid towards the base. Havok's typical loadout was a pair of machine guns in each hand with a pair of Auto-Seeking missile launchers on his back mounts. Smaller auxiliary AS missile launchers were mounted onto the shoulder extension points. An AC's Fire Control System allows for independent control of weapons on a left and right basis, so a Raven can fire two weapons at the same time, but only as long as each belongs to a different side of the AC. The extension mount runs on a separate system allowing it to be operated simultaneously with the two currently selected weapons giving an AC 3 weapons at its disposal with another 2 able to be swapped to on the fly.

Elijah switched from his machine guns to the missile launchers as he flared Havok's boosters, pushing the AC into the air. Clearing the buildings, he now had a clear line of sight on most targets in the area. Giving the missiles a second to arm, he squeezed the trigger and in an instant, twelve warheads streaked away from him. Each missile contained enough computing power and networking to determine target threat levels and autonomously dedicating missiles to each target. Two Gibbons that were moving across a large courtyard took three missiles each, the warhead's directed blast boiling away armour, hydrolics, GBN-02s stood no chance against AC level weaponry. 

The remaining missiles guided themselves into clumps of infantry scrambling for cover in the chaos caused by Tom's rocket barrage. They had literally nothing that could touch an AC, even if they managed to catch it off guard, even if they scored a direct hit with a portable anti-tank launcher, the best result would be catching it's attention. In this situation, they were useless. Havok touched down and the missile launchers rotated back as Elijah brought his two machine guns up. His FCS compensated, changing to suit direct fire weapons. Another Gibbon rounded the corner, twin barreled machine gun in its right arm blazing away, chunks of the walls and ground scattering around, dirt flying. Havok's weight shifted left as it's boosters flared, the AC sliding sideways avoiding the hail of rounds.

"Tom, what's your position?" He asked. Havok cleared the corner, the Gibbon advancing on him earlier now in front of him, raising both weapons, the FCS lighting a solid red on both sights, a confirmed lock. He squeezed both triggers, bracing Havok for the recoil. The two barrels roaring to life, spewing out rounds. The Gibbon didn't stand a chance, blindsided and unprepared the hail of rounds cut it to pieces, shells punching through the thin armour, cutting electronic cable and wire, blowing servos apart. Against an AC, a Gibbon could never stand on equal footing.

Tom's reply came though, "I cut through the right hand side of the base, taken out two Gibbons and two of the gunships, lost the third, could be headed your way!" 

Elijah flicked his radar from passive to active, avoiding detection no longer really being a priority. "Alright, I dealt with the last three Gibbons, I'- ack shit!" He was shaken by a blast to his side, reacting, he flung Havok in the opposite direction, back into the open where he could get a good look. Scanning his head around, he couldn't see his attacker, but realised he should probably answer Tom's yelling, "I'm fine! Something hit me, don't worry I'll find it." His eyes flicked to the radar, a blip showing to his 11 o'clock. Scanning his vision, he picked out the silhouette of a helicopter, an instant later, a flash as a missile peeled away from its right wing stub, weaving its way through the air trailing a control wire behind it. Elijah tensed up as the missile closed, waiting for the right moment.

_Come on come on come on aaaannnnnddddd..._ The missile was barely 20 meters from him when he threw Havok to the side, the missile streaking past him, harmlessly blowing the wall of a nearby building apart. Before the Hind could attempt another shot, the auxiliary AS launchers on Havok's shoulders opened, four missiles flying ahead. Elijah watched as the missiles picked out the gunship, curling sideways tracking it. Breaking sideways and banking heavily, the Mi-24 popped flare and chaff countermeasures, trying to confuse the missiles. Only one took the bait, curling away, slamming into the rooftop of a low building. The other three continued on unfazed, one taking the entire tail off while the other two punched into the hull and cockpit, the entire helicopter exploding into a fireball, scattering metal and fire across the base.

Havok ground to a halt, Elijah turning the AC around, scanning the head piece across the open courtyard he was standing in, the smoke making it difficult to see much. Peeking up at the radar screen, the screen was clear save for a single signal, a green square closing on him, indicating a registered friendly IFF tag, Jackhammer. "That's gotta be it all targets down. They really want us to level the place? Fires are gonna spread and turn this place to ash, waste of munitions if you ask me." Tom aired his opinion, which was on Elijah agreed with. 

"Yeah, I'm calling it in," he reopened the channel to the operator, "Operator, this is Havok, all enemies destroyed, conf-" the channel was overridden from the other end.  
"Havok, I have four signals inbound, looks like dropships. Confirming additional mission objective, destroy the enemy reinforcements. Destruction of base no longer considered mission critical. Confirm!"  
"Shit," Elijah cursed through his teeth, "the hell are we dealing with now?" It was one thing for unexpected events during missions but those four dropships could be carrying just about anything. Ravens were well aware of the risks during missions but it didn't make it any less annoying.

"Don't sweat it," Tom said with rather misplaced cheer in his voice as far as Elijah felt, "we can take them, it's not like these independents could afford to throw anything serious at us. Right?" Elijah was on the same line of thinking, but was still on edge. "What was the ETA on those incoming?" Tom asked as he looked around for any sign of the dropships.

"I have no idea, didn't say." A second later, at the very edge of his radar, four blips appeared. "Contacts, four incoming at my 4 o'clock." Elijah turned Havok to face them, ready to fire more of his AS missiles, but as he did, the dropship's bellies opened, dropping their cargo from a low altitude. 

"Goddamnit they dropped early! Tom, move around the right side, I'm gonna go high and try and confirm what the hell they are!" Elijah shouted to Tom.

"Got it!" Tom answered as Jackhammer's boosters flared to life and the AC began to slide away. While Elijah still needed to confirm what it was they were now facing, the sound of whatever it was hitting the ground didn't fill him with confidence. Whatever they were, they were at the very least, extremely heavy. Havok's boosters roared, lifting the AC skywards. Elijah panned his head over the drop point, the instant he spotted the four targets, his HUD lit up, a lock warning indicating an enemy FCS had locked onto him. On instinct alone, Elijah threw Havok to the right as something blew by him, missing by what felt like inches.

Killing Havok's boosters, the AC dropped like a stone, slamming into the ground, sinking low to absorb the impact. In the split second before evading their fire, Elijah had confirmed the targets. It was probably as bad as another Raven. "Tom! Tom, pull back! Disengage! Pull back to the courtyard! They're Behemoths goddamnit!" Elijah sent Havok sliding backwards weapons up in case they rounded the corner.

"Wait, really?" Tom sounded incredulous, "How the hell do they afford Behemoths?" Tom was asking questions that Elijah equally wanted answers to. BMH-11s, commonly referred to as 'Behemoths', were one of GAs largest and most heavily armoured MTs available on the market. Aside from being nearly two meters taller than a GBN-02 and weighing nearly three times as much, their most distinguishing features were the enormous metal shield fitted to their left arm used in tandem with an extremely large bore recoilless rifle colloquially called a 'bazooka' that fired high-explosive shells. This and their thick armour meant they were slow, but abnormally difficult to kill, needing either overwhelming explosive firepower or an armour piercing weapon along the lines of a back mounted sniper cannon, which wasn't something either of them were currently equipped with.

Being slow, they could be dealt with on their own, or even in pairs by moving faster than they could position their shield, allowing repeated hits on their body. However, four in a cohesive group posed a serious problem, they could put out a truly worrying amount of fire while having enough shields to make consistent hits almost impossible to pull off. "I have no idea!" Answered Elijah, "hold on a second, just get to me and we'll sort something out." He reopened the operator's channel, "Operator, enemy reinforcements confirmed, four BMH-11s, I repeat, four BMH-11s, neither Havok nor Jackhammer carry appropriate weapons to deal with this much armour. Please advise!" He hoped the edge to his voice carried the sincerity of his worry.

Thankfully, the operator replied immediately, "Seriously? Goddamnit alright. Mission objective destroy enemy reinforcements now optional, you may leave mission area to confirm mission success, confirm?"

Elijah sighed with relief, they'd lose out on a bonus but not have to risk their lives doing something stupid. "Confirmed, destroying reinforcements is optional." He closed the channel, suddenly realising Tom hadn't arrived yet. "Tom, where are you?" He asked, somewhat worried. An explosion around the area he last saw the Behemoths confirmed his fears. "Tom! You'd better not be engaging those MTs!" Barking the words out as he pushed Havok forwards, thrusters burning. There was not only the issue of Tom not being equipped to take them on, but he had been a Raven an even shorter amount of time than Elijah himself had been. Another blast shook the base, fire and smoke billowing into the sky. 

Tom's voice suddenly crackled through, "Elijah are you just gonna sit around and watch or do you wanna do something about this?!" Elijah wanted to drop kick him. 

"I said pull back you fucking idiot! What part of disengage means charge headlong into the enemy?!" The building to the right of him exploded outwards and Jackhammer flew past Havok, slamming into the next building on the other side of the path. Tom's AC was not in good condition, multiple blackened sections of armour, some plates cracked and splintered. One section of amour across the chest was missing entirely, the exposed wiring and metal framework smoldering. "Jesus christ are you alright?" He asked as he dropped his left hand machine gun and grabbed onto one shoulder of Jackhammer, starting to drag him down the street as fast as possible. If the Behemoths caught them here then serious problems came into play.

Tom wasn't responding to Elijah but a readout on one of Elijah's screens showed a pulse, meaning at the very least he was alive. Flaring Havok's boosters, Elijah tried desperately to drag Jackhammer faster, succeeding only in ripping a handful of metal away from the shoulder. "For God's sake Tom why is your AC such a sack of shit!" Cursing more to try and make himself feel better than to actually achieve anything of value. As he feared, a Behemoth slowly made its way around the corner, shield raised with the barrel of its bazooka poking around the side. 

"Ahhhhh shit come on Tom, wake the fuck up I can't fight dragging your sorry ass!" In a vain effort to deter the Behemoth, while dragging with his left hand, Elijah fired with the machine gun in his right, simultaneously firing off his auxiliary AS launchers. As he expected, the missiles slammed into the shield, doing little more than scorching the surface, distorting the top layer of metal but nothing more, the machine gun rounds doing little more than scratching it. The barrel of the Behemoth's bazooka flared as it fired back, Elijah had no time to react, expecting the shell to hit him square on. Instead, it connected with the head of Tom's AC, turning it into a grenade, blasting shrapnel wide. 

Elijah gave up trying to get Tom back in the fight, as trying to fight without your primary optics and sensor array was difficult at best, plain impossible in any other situation. Another Behemoth rounded the corner, prompting Elijah to take drastic measures. _Jackhammer's weighing me down, so let's lose some weight!_ With that thought, he tossed aside his machine gun and jettisoned all his AS launchers. With his now free hand, he forcibly ripped Jackhammer's rocket launchers out of their mountings, one of the Behemoths assisted him in its own way, with a bazooka shell blowing Jackhammer's shotgun to pieces. _Tom is gonna be so pissed when he comes to._ He opened the operator's channel, "Operator, Jackhammer is out of commission, I'm pulling us both out, declaring mission success, I need the transporter ready to leave the moment we get there!"

The operator chimed back, "Understood, transporter is ready and waiting at the pre-designated location, be aware if you take too long or those Behemoths follow you too close the transporter is within its rights to leave both of you behind."

Elijah didn't want to even consider getting left behind. "Don't worry, we'll come home." The drop in weight eventually paid off, with Havok gaining momentum while dragging Jackhammer behind it. The Behemoths managed to blow one of Jackhammer's legs off which considerably reduced its weight. But their own inability to move any faster than a constant stride prevented them from keeping up with Elijah and Tom. Before long, the 'Leaving Mission Area' warning flashed up in front of him, something normally to keep an eye out for when fighting as leaving a mission early forfeited all rewards, payments etc and the mission was counted as a failure on your account. Typically an embarrassing mistake to make for anyone who wasn't considered a rookie. 

A few seconds later, the onscreen notice was replaced by another, this one in green saying 'Mission Success!'. What would normally be a moment to celebrate was instead, one of him continuing to drag his unconscious friend across the arid ground. There was virtually no life in these parts, the odd resilient shrub but that was about it, just dust, dirt and baked ground. Only minutes after leaving the mission area, Elijah began seeing friendly signals on his radar.

The signals were several modified GBN-02 MTs, ones designed for civilian operations like heavy lifting. The makeshift landing strip was prepared to allow for a stealth approach to the base, ordinarily, Havok and Jackhammer would have been simply dropped out the back of the transporter mid flight. Elijah quickly scanned local channels, finding the transporter and opening a link with them, "This is the AC Havok, you our ride out of here?"

The reply came quickly, "Havok this is your ticket out, climb on board, get strapped in and we'll be gone." Elijah grinned at hearing it.

"Thank god, I think I need a shower."


	2. Welcome to the Times

Despite the look of genuine remorse that Tom was currently burying into his hands, Elijah couldn't bring himself to stop glowering at the man. "Do you have any idea" Tom almost wailed into his palms, "How much it's gonna cost me to repair Jackhammer? I'm gonna have nothing but change afterwards!"

"Perhaps next time, when I tell you not to do something, you don't do it? Maybe?" Elijah was getting tired of his whining. After two hours of hearing it, this broken record was grating. "I had to choose between burying you or costing you some money, what would you have done?" Perhaps he was laying it on thick, but it was nice to be able to get a point across.

Tom's expression as he looked up was incredulous at best, "Holy shit Elijah, that's a little dark don'tcha think?"

Letting out a long sigh, Elijah dropped the glare. "It's something we always have to keep in mind. We might be Ravens but we aren't invincible, today was a damn good example of that." Turning to look at Jackhammer, it was a sorry sight to see. Supported by the gantry alone, the multiple scars across armour, bullet holes, blackened plates and flat out missing limbs all went to show that even a heavyweight like Jackhammer could be brought down when, to be honest, the pilot wasn't up to snuff. That said, it wasn't hard to tell that Tom was legitimately upset at the state of his AC.

Tom had only been a Raven for little over a year, but he had struggled to grow as a pilot. He had languished in the lower ranks since leaving training. Everyone else in his group either progressed or died, he was just left behind. Elijah slouched in the seat, putting his hands behind his head, "You know, everyone has been in this situation before, everyone's fucked up real bad and put themselves in the negative, hell I've done it! But you're alive right?" Turning to look at Tom, he was glad to see his head wasn't still in his hands, but he still wasn't looking up.

Unfortunately, in some regards, Elijah was unable to say anymore, as the hold filled with the voice of the pilot, "Alright guys, we're just lining up for approach, it won't be long till touch down so strap in." At the pilot's words, both Elijah and Tom did the harnesses that had previously been draped over their shoulders.

He was grateful for where he'd chosen to sit, as he had a window to his left that he could see through if he strained his neck a little. It was from there, he could see home. The Raven's Ark. A massive flying disk-like structure suspended nearly five thousand meters in the air that was the main base of operations and home to all Ravens and the people that supported them. It was built around a central core that ran from the Governor's Office at the very top, to the lowest levels of engineering. Spanning out from the center were 3 layers of varying thickness. At the very top, as mentioned before was the Governor's Office, but just below that was various administration sections and rooms dedicated to dealings with Corporate Advisors and legal teams. The next was the largest, with the residential sectors for both staff and Ravens, the main cafeteria, hangars, large repair and refit workshops. Around 65% of the Ark's mass was found in the middle layer. The gap between the top and middle layers was also where the main deck was found. The deck effectively was made of the topside of the middle layer, and it stretched out a fair distance before rapidly sloping off at a steep angle. It was possible to walk unprotected on the deck, but the extreme cold and thin air meant at most spending ten minutes outside was enough for even the healthiest person to begin to struggle. The final layer was where the guts of the Ark lay. Thousands of meters of piping and electrical wiring, enormous generators and engines to match, the beating heart that kept the Ark in the sky.

As much as it was home, it was also a fortress. With numerous missile pods, anti-aircraft guns and Close In Weapon Systems, it was designed to hold off an army while its Ravens counter attacked. Of note was the large protrusion from the middle layer, a bulbous extension that led onto a large runway that the transporters would use to land and take off, their folding wings allowing them access inside the hangar. Smaller, VTOL capable dropships existed, but they lacked the range to deliver ACs to their often distant mission areas. The transporters had an equally important role alongside AC delivery in that all supplies required by the Ark to sustain itself were delivered by them. It was this same runway that their transporter touched down on.

"Look," Elijah said quietly, "I know today seems like a failure but it's no big deal, life goes on, Jackhammer and Havok get fixed up and we go back to doing what we do best right?" He did his best to give a cheerful smile but it was wasted on the side of Tom's head. "All we need to do is go an debr-" The words caught in his throat. Tom turned his head enough so Elijah could see the sad, resigned look on his face. The debrief. They still had to answer for the shit show of a mission that they somehow pulled off. "Aw fuck he's gonna eat us alive."

"It's scary how used to this I am" came Tom's reply, but it wasn't exactly comforting words.

"Yeah, no, that isn't helping the situation. I don't wanna find out you're best buddies with half the operators on the Ark because you've spent so long getting chewed out by them!" It was no use taking it out on him, they both had a pretty good idea what was in store for them. Through the windows, he watched the transporter taxi itself through the hangar doors, glimpses of the interior drifted by. Only moments later, the transporter came to a halt and the rear door began to open. At the same time, Elijah and Tom undid the clasps to their harnesses and stood up, making their way to the rear, "Ok," Elijah said as they approached the opening, "plan is, we go to debrief, take whatever they have to throw at us, grab Sajjan and go have some drinks to forget about today, ok?"

"Sounds like a plan I can get behind, do we know where Sajjan actually is?" A grin had returned to Tom's face finally.

"Nope, if he's not home when we get out then I'll call him." As they walked down the ramp, the Chief Engineer took two steps towards Jackhammer and proceeded to put her hands on her hips and let out a more than audible sigh.

"Who's AC is this?" She said, pointing at Jackhammer.

"Uhhh- I- He- Um" Tom made motions towards Elijah but the latter was having none of it.

"It's his."

It was rather impressive to watch the colour drain from his face in only a few seconds. The Chief walked up to Tom and smacked him round the side of the head with the clipboard in her hand. Not expecting this, Tom took the entire brunt of the attack and staggered somewhat. Elijah gave a toothy grin to his pained friend, "I'm going to assume you know the hangar crew pretty well too hmmm?"

"Yeaahhh something like that" Tom was rubbing the side of his head which had, by some miracle, regained all of its colour.

"Oh don't worry, I'm very aware of who this asshat is" The Chief looked genuinely pissed off with Tom, which wasn't actually that surprising to Elijah. "This'll be the third time in two months that he's come in here with Jackhammer looking like that, so yeah, the whole engineering team is very familiar with both Jackhammer and its asshole pilot." Elijah took his turn to smack Tom over the back of his head.

"You told me the last time you wrecked Jackhammer was 4 months ago!?" He should have expected this but it still pissed him off.

"Yeah I didn't tell you because I knew you'd act like this! Just for the love of God don't tell Sajjan because he won't hit me, and that's kind of scarier." Tom took a step back from both the Chief and Elijah, clearly worried about another hit.

"Hey I was knocked unconscious a few hours ago you shouldn't be hi-"

"Shut up!" It was clear that the Chief's and Elijah's standing on Tom was fairly similar.

"Look Chief, I can only apologise for the state of Jackhammer, we kinda had a run in with some Behemoths and they got the better of us. I know Havok's not too bad but Tom took the brunt of it." He turned to glare at Tom, "Even if I did tell him to fall back"

Tom, who had retreated almost back inside the transporter, half shouted "Can you drop that already!?" Elijah was tempted to keep it up, but he knew their operator would be impatiently waiting for them

Ignoring Tom, he said to the Chief, "I am really sorry but we've got a debrief to get to, can I leave them in your capable hands?" He gestured to the ACs in the transporter. She gave another long sigh, as if his request was some great burden she had to bear.

"Well, it is my job, but I'll remember your face and your AC. Bring it in when it's in a state like Jackhammer here, and I'll lay the hurt on you before I fix your machine up, you got that?" The glint in her eye was all it took to convince Elijah that she meant everything she said.

"Don't worry Chief, I'll keep Havok like shiny new." Spinning on the spot, she shouted out to some workers that were pushing what looked like crates of ammunition around on a trolley. Tom had walked up to Elijah by this point and prodded him.

"Hey, we should get moving." Elijah nodded wordlessly and the pair walked across the open Hangar area to an open door. The journey to the small room that was one of many typically used for mission debriefs was uneventful. It consisted almost entirely of internal corridors broken up by a single trip in an elevator. It was always nice to be able to walk the outermost sections of the Ark, many of its floors being covered by large uninterrupted panes of glass allowing, during the day, many floors to be lit solely by natural light. In the event that the Ark should come under attack, there were armoured shutters that would cover the glass, preventing it from being easily broken through. But this far inside, all they got to look at was metal plating, slightly too bright lighting and the occasional pipe. Standing outside the door, they gave one last look at each other before pressing the call button on the panel to the right of the door.

"Yes, who is it?" Came a voice through a small speaker, even distorted somewhat they recognized it.

"It's Elijah and Thomas, here for debrief?" Without a reply, the door slid open. Peeking around the frame, they saw a thin man with short graying hair sat behind a desk, a small tablet computer in one hand and an electronic cigarette in the other. To say he didn't look pleased to see them would have been an understatement. It was more like, literally anyone else walking into the room at that moment would have been preferred. Maybe even the room exploding would have been better.

"Sit." He wasn't particularly loud, but his tone, the weight in the single word made Elijah feel like a toddler about to be told off by a caretaker. "Now, while I am very much relieved to find you both alive and well, I have some serious questions to level at you both, in particular you Thomas." His gaze fixed on Tom like he was trying to bore into his soul by eyesight alone.

Sitting so close to him, Elijah could make out the mutter "Goddamn it" from Tom's almost sealed lips.

It appeared that the operator either didn't hear him or chose to ignore it. He continued, "Now first of all, I guess I should say congratulations, you achieved your primary objective and returned alive so let's get the usual out of the way hmm?"

By usual, he meant the grading process that Ravens were put through after a mission was completed. During the time that a Raven would be returning home, the operator would write up a short outline of mission events, the total cost of repair and rearm against the mission reward to give an amount of profit or loss. Then finally any personal notes by the operator before it was sent off to a small team who would overview the information given to them and assign it a rating from S to F, S being an absolutely perfect rating and F meaning the mission was a failure regardless of events during it. Things worked in a similar fashion when Ravens worked in pairs, as both would be individually assessed on their performance, meaning it was entirely possible for one of the pair to get an S and the other to get an F should one AC be disabled during the course of a mission. Tom was equally familiar with this procedure, meaning his result was not surprising in the least.

"Alright, we'll go with you first Thomas as I'm pretty sure you know what I'm gonna say." Tom remained silent, "For starters, you were knocked unconscious during a mission and didn't wake up until Elijah had already ended the mission, meaning that counts against you as an automatic fail, so that's another F for you to stare at on your record."

Weakly raising on fist in the air he gave a "Woo go me", with as little emotion in his voice as possible.

Not reacting, the operator continued, "Mission reward was one hundred and ninety thousand credits, to be split equally should a pair of Ravens accept. Your costs for repair and refit come to…" He paused as he scrolled down on the small tablet computer in his hands, "Ninety two thousand credits, leaving you three thousand in profit."

The sound Tom made was not unlike a balloon deflating with a slow leak.

This time the operator paused for a moment, staring at Tom with what could only be called absolute distain. "Are you finished?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah sure carry on I'm all good here." As if the last few seconds never happened, Tom leant back in his seat, allowing himself to slip down into a slouch.

Turning back to his tablet, the operator continued, "Now Elijah, the fact that you were the one to actually end the mission while saving Thomas means that you have been given a Performance Rank of B, had you not incurred notable cost due to the discarding of your weapons and completed the secondary objectives you likely would have achieved an A, but none the less I did note that it was personally admirable of you to drag Thomas out of the combat zone. I know it's an obvious choice for friends to help one another but with four Behemoths bearing down on the two of you…" He trailed off, it wasn't unheard of for Ravens to be abandoned during missions by their partner. "Regarding cost and reward, the majority of your expenses come from weapon replacement with only minor repair. Final cost was twenty eight thousand credits leaving you with sixty seven thousand in profit."

The smile on Elijah's face was met with a glare from Tom. The difference between their earnings was significant, Elijah could make sixty seven thousand last him a couple of weeks if he really stretched it. On the other hand, Tom would likely get a couple of decent meals out of his earnings and he'd be back onto whatever savings he had left. However, it was apparent that the operator wasn't done with them just yet.

"Now, on to the not so fun part." He flipped the tablet in his hands around, an audio file playing back their chatter during the mission. Specifically the part where Elijah told Tom to fall back. The moment the audio finished, the tablet was facing its owner once again. "I know there is no hierarchy between Ravens on an official level, but when a B-Rank tells you, an E-Rank, what do, don't you think maybe listening is a good idea!?" Even Elijah, who wasn't even the target of this outrage, wanted the world to swallow him up. Going up against the Behemoths was preferable to sitting next to Tom right now. "There really isn't much more to say on it, considering your thankfully superficial injuries compared to the damage your AC endured, I feel like you're getting off lightly."

"Uhhhhh, that seems a little much don't you think?" Elijah had to chip in at this point, almost flat out saying he wished further harm on a Raven was pushing it. The operator huffed and crossed his arms, clearly realizing himself.

"Look just, keep the fuck ups to a minimum alright? Get outta here, both of you." He dismissively waved his hand at them and sat down, staring at the tablet intently. The two of them took the opportunity to leave without further comment.

The second they left the door, Tom heaved a massive sigh and grinned at Elijah, "Holy shit that was pretty intense right?"

"What was intense?" The voice both of them recognized made Elijah snap to look in its direction, but Thomas on the other hand froze on the spot. Standing with his back to the wall was Sajjan Singh, the No.9, A-Rank Raven, pilot of White Glint. It wasn't a surprise to see him wearing a white shirt with an open grey waistcoat and matching trousers. Sajjan had always taken pride in dressing well, if he wasn't in his jumpsuit then he was likely wearing some combination of fine attire. Literally topping the outfit off was a tightly tied deep blue turban. Both the turban and the long but neatly kept beard identified him as a Sikh. At least, those who recognised what the turban and beard meant, to many he was simply different, often referred to as the 'Odd Raven'. Sajjan never let it bother him, but Elijah wished he didn't see so many eyes avert when they walked by.

"Hey Sajjan, we just finished debriefin-". Elijah tried to draw attention away from Tom but Sajjan clearly saw the plan as it unfolded.

"Oh I know why the two of you were here," he stood up from the wall, now peeking around Elijah to look at Tom. "I'm just curious as to what was so intense about your debriefing." The wry, knowing grin on his face said it all. Tom nervously looked over his shoulder.

"Uh-h-uh Sajjan! No there was nothing i-intense about the meeting!" Sajjan smiled wide, his eyes closing at the same time.

"Oh good! I was just going to ask your operator how the mission went."

He made a motion towards the door and a series of bizarre noises made their way out of Tom's mouth in protest. "Ash-ababab-nononono it's really fine if you don't haha no really it's all good you don't need to speak to the operator." The near instantaneous delivery of the entire statement even had Elijah raising his eyebrows at Tom, while his eyes nervously flickered between the two of them.

Realising he was fighting a lost cause, his shoulders slumped and he gave up his frankly weak attempt at hiding the truth. "Alright fine, we completed the mission but I screwed up and Jackhammer got wrecked. The operator was pissed because I didn't listen to Mr. B-Rank over here." He flicked his arm in Elijah's direction as he said this.

Elijah, took offense to this, "Heeey, just because you've been in E-Rank for near on a year doesn't mean you can try and take it out on me!"

Tom's pouting didn't help his case but Sajjan stepped in between them. He knew this particular routine all too well and was likely very familiar with how it'd play out if he left the two of them to their own devices. "Now now gentlemen, how about we discuss this over a drink and I can get a clear idea of what happened from the both of you equally hmmmm?" He gave another bright smile at the both of them. His cheerfulness was almost overpowering, but it was often a saving grace for them all that Sajjan was a perfect model of patience and tolerance. Elijah had come to assume that part of it came down to his beliefs, but even if he wasn't a Sikh, Sajjan likely would have been just as kind to any and all regardless.

Elijah had begun living with him roughly a year previously, after deciding that solo accommodation wasn't suiting him, while Sajjan had known Tom for several years before he'd decided to sign on as a Raven only 14 months beforehand. The three of them would have likely attempted to apply for quarters that would have fit three people if such a thing existed, with the fairly low number of Ravens, there was only enough suitable accommodation for single or paired occupants, not counting the rooms the Ark staff used. However there was also the problem that even if three person quarters existed, affording it would be impossible as each person would have to contribute enough to maintain it. Unfortunately, Tom's current financial situation meant that he had been living in the most basic quarters available since he'd passed training.

That didn't stop him from spending a vast majority of his free time with them. Sajjan threw his arms around both Elijah and Tom, bringing them in close. "Why don't we all go home, you two get cleaned up, we go out for something to drink and you guys can tell me allll about it."

"And that," Elijah finished with a flourish of his drink, "is the story of how Tom fucked up and I saved the day!"

"Uuuuggggghhhh Elijah please, are you gonna let it ressssst?" Tom glowered but took another mouthful from the glass in front of him. The four empties to his left were collected by the bartender and carried away to be washed. Elijah wasn't quite far along, but he had certainly had enough to put him in especially good spirit. Sajjan, naturally happy to be with friends finished his second alcohol-free beer, gesturing for another. While he waited for the drink, he turned to his right, smiling at Elijah.

"Now Elijah, I know Tom's short comings may be amusing for the moment, but perhaps it would be best to take from this a lesson. A lesson that you didn't choose an easy life and that risk always lies around the corner." It was like him to both keep the peace while also giving advice.

"Oh I know I know, to be honest, I really shouldn't have expected anything different. It's not uncommon for Ravens to seek greater and greater challenges." Elijah peeked around Sajjan to look at Tom's unhappy face.

Staring into the dregs of his beer, Tom muttered, "I challenged too hard, I took the challenge and it beat me up." It was apparent he was past the point where cohesive English was beyond him. Allowing his head to fall on the bar side with slightly more a bang that would be considered normal, Tom fell silent.

Sajjan chuckled to himself, "I think of all the people here, you Elijah, have taken upon yourself the greatest challenge haven't you?"

Feeling his face go red, Elijah decided not to reply immediately, instead finishing the rest of his glass. "I dunno what you're talking about, you're just thinking too much."

Raising his eyebrows in false shock, he pushed the issue, "Oh? I'm wrong then, in thinking it was your goal to take the place at the top of our ranks? To defeat the number one and show the world you are the best there is?"

There was no denying it, it was almost one of the first things he'd told his assigned trainer when he passed into the regular ranks of Ravens. He wanted to prove to the world he was worth something, what better way than to beat the best and take their place. For over seven years now, a single man had defended that coveted position. Berlioz. Holding the title given to the number one ranking Raven, Ninebreaker. Public mission records for other Ravens only went back five years, but Berlioz's showed a perfect 100% success rating. Meaning at the very least, in the last five years, he remained absolutely undefeated on the battlefield. That in itself, was a challenge to Elijah. What else could he possibly do? He had to stand up to this God of the Battlefield, drag him down from his throne and take his place.

This desire to beat Berlioz didn't come necessarily from a need to show off, in some flashy display of power. Elijah had grown up with next to nothing, being born less than a year before the world burned, he didn't really remember what it was like when his parents had been alive. The two of them struggling to keep him alive while the Corporations took their opportunity to seize control. By the time even a modicum of order had been established, his Father was dead and his Mother only days away from passing herself. They were found by Rosenthal soldiers checking the abandoned slums for people like themselves, those who had fallen out of the system and were trying to scrape by. While he was saved, his Mother was too far gone and died in a medical facility. He grew up with other children, either forsaken by their families or their loved ones taken away by the short and brutal end of the old world.

Living in a system that either couldn't afford to give you more than the basics, or worse, had chosen not to, left an impression on him. As the years went on, he heard more and more about the exploits of the Ravens, the people that piloted the war machines called Armored Cores that dominated the battlefields across the world. Their names were known all over, people respected them, it wasn't difficult to see why after living his entire life as someone never contributing, that kind of recognition was a pull he couldn't resist. The moment he was old enough, he signed up to join them, never once regretting the decision.

"Hello? Earth to Elijah?" The hand waving in front of his face snapped him back.

"Hu-bwuh?" He flinched but not enough to drop his glass. "Sorry dude, zoned out there." He scratched the back of his head, now trying to remember what exactly they were talking about before he lost focus.

Sajjan patted him on the back, "Don't worry about it, so long as you're getting lost in a happy place." With a smile, he turned to Tom's now lightly snoring frame. Elijah was about to order another drink when someone entering the bar caught his eye. It wasn't them entering that drew his attention, more the fact they had chosen to wear a black hooded top over what looked like a standard issue Raven's jumpsuit. With the hood pulled up and forwards, it was impossible to get a good look at his face in the low lighting of the bar. The fact this person, who appeared to be a Raven, was going to unusual lengths to keep their identity hidden peeked an interest in him that wouldn't have been there without the notable amount he'd had to drink.

Keeping track of the mysterious Raven, Elijah was more surprised to see that apparently this person was a regular he hadn't seen before, as they didn't even need to ask for a drink. The moment they were within arm's reach of the bar, the bartender had a small tumbler with ice and a dark liquor ready to be passed straight into this person's hand. Only seconds later, they took a seat at a table near the corner, far from prying eyes. Elijah's curiosity was burning bright at this point. Grinning, he made a move to perhaps strike up a conversation with this shy individual.

The moment he even shifted his weight, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Turning to see the offending party, it was Sajjan looking at him, a peculiar expression on his face, not one that Elijah's fuzzy brain could recall seeing before. "While I'm sure you have no ill intention Elijah, I feel like maybe that person who just entered wishes to enjoy their drink in peace, wouldn't you say?" Elijah had to take a moment to process this.

"Uh, yeah sure." Sitting down, he saw Sajjan hook an arm under Tom's shoulder and heave him to his feet.

"I think our friend has had his fill of the evening, are you going to retire as well?" He gestured to the bartender, intending to pay.

"Hmmmm, nah you two go ahead, I'll have one more before heading back." As Sajjan paid, he asked for another drink. "I swear I won't be long, but if I am, don't worry about me, I'm sure I'll come crawling in at somepoint." Giving a toothy grin to make his point, Elijah picked up the new drink and took a swig.

"Alright then, I'll see you… at somepoint then." Sajjan smiled before walking out, Tom mumbling along the way. Taking another sip of his drink, he turned on the stool, stood up and made way towards a group of Ark crew playing cards.

"Hellooo friends! Got space for one more?"

Wait was that the route I was meant to take?

I hope Sajjan isn't pissed with me.

I'm pissed with me haha get it?

No this definitely isn't the way home.

Did I take this corner before?

Would the world stop spinning please?

The hell is that guy looking at?!

Oh woah the floor lo-

The pounding in his head dragged him back into consciousness, but for now, he kept his eyes shut. In situations like this, he would often wake up to find a large glass of water and several painkillers on his bedside table, curtesy of Sajjan. It was more than likely that he was used to this with the way Tom frequently drank. Slowly shifting his hand to the right, he searched for the table. Surprise struck him when his arm flopped out the side of the bed without hitting anything. Did Sajjan move it? He tried to piece together the previous night's events. Realisation set in, that he didn't remember making it home, meaning there was every possibility that the bed he was in, wasn't his. Bringing the suddenly rising panic under control, he very slowly shifted his other arm and both legs. No resistance meant he, at least at this point, wasn't a captive. At this point he could hear the sound of someone using a computer to his left, meaning he wasn't alone in the room, but their attention hopefully wasn't focused on him. He decided that opening his eyes now was a good idea.

Slowly opening a single eye, he saw the ceiling above him, nothing particularly interesting about it. Turning his head as lightly as possible to the right, he could see a sliding door that likely contained a wardrobe of sorts, the rest of the wall was bare. He couldn't look at the wall opposite to him without potentially drawing attention to himself. Tilting to the left, he could see the back of the person in the room with him. Wearing what was clearly a Raven's jumpsuit, Elijah wasn't able to get a good look at the man's face. However it was at this point that his motions caught the Raven's attention. The typing stopped and he spoke, "Oh? Are you awake now?"

Elijah froze, but felt compelled to speak regardless, "Um, yeah, I really hate to be rude, but I have no idea who you are and where I am."

It was when the Raven turned around, the realization of where he was suddenly hit him. "That's quite alright, you weren't exactly in the greatest of conditions when I found you. My name is Leonhardt."

Sitting before him was the No.2 Raven Leonhardt Rosenthal, pilot of the Armored Core Noblesse Oblige, known by many as the "Knight of the People" due to his many humanitarian missions and the fact that he was the only S-Rank Raven to still use a laser blade. It was this and his frequent public events with Rosenthal that led him to having a significant following. Despite this however, like all the S-Ranks, there was still a lot many didn't know about. The only things everyone was able to be certain of, was what the Raven's contracted Corporation wanted everyone to know. To those that tried to stand against Leonhardt, he had gained an alternative name, "Archangel", for the six barreled laser cannons spread in two sets of three on each back mount, giving the impression the AC had large white wings when they were folded away and its overpowering combat skill. Leonhardt hadn't reached No.2 for nothing. Despite his calm demeanor, pleasant attitude and well-meaning outlook on life, on the battlefield, there were few who could survive longer than a minute against him.

"I- um uh you- uh wait", Elijah stumbled as he struggled to wrap his head around his position. The position that was, he was in the bed of the No.2 Raven, with no way of explaining how he got there.

Leonhardt smiled and waved his hand dismissively, as if he could see the turmoil on Elijah's face clear as day. "Don't worry about it, you haven't been here that long, not even a full day, I figured you'd wake soon enough."

That set off alarm bells. "Wait, not even a full day? What time is it?" Leonhardt looked back at his computer.

"It's just gone past 4:30pm, lunch at the cafeteria would have just finished so I'm afraid if you want something to eat you're stuck with whatever long life food I left here."

Hunger was the last thing on Elijah's mind, the fact that midday had gone by and he still wasn't home was the more serious problem, Sajjan was likely sick with worry despite being told not to. "No I'm fine thanks, I'm more worried about my friend, he probably has no idea where I am o-"

Leonhardt interrupted him, "You needn't worry about your friend. I happen to know them and knew that you were friends, he knows where you are and that you're safe." Elijah had to take a moment to try and digest all the new information he was getting. Wait wait wait, Leonhardt and Sajjan know each other? Like, not just on a name basis? Whhhaaaat? Elijah made no effort to hide his amazement and confusion on his face, as Leonhardt laughed to himself. "Is it really that surprising? Sajjan Singh is most certainly a very capable Raven and I respect his views on the world. I wish more people could believe in better things for us all."

Elijah frowned, "That still doesn't exactly explain how you know him well enough to recognize me?"

Leonhardt nodded slowly and said, "Well that is true, but the handful of times that myself and Sajjan have been able to speak his friends have come up in conversation, he is awfully fond of the both of you so it's not that great of a stretch, also, the fact you were still wearing your jumpsuit made it a lot easier to realise who you were." Pulling the sleeve of his jumpsuit around, as he knew was a patch with his personal emblem on it, the number nineteen which was his rank, finally under that was his name, Elijah Thomson and the name of his AC, Havok. While Leonhardt's sleeve wasn't visible, it would have displayed the same information.

Remembering back to last night, that was part of the reason he'd been so curious about the Raven who had entered the bar wearing the long sleeved top. Covering that information was effectively saying you had good reason to hide who you were, and no one off the top of his head had such a reason.

Slowly sitting upright in the bed, it dawned on him that he had a golden opportunity on his hands if Leonhardt had the time to humour him. It wasn't every day you had the undivided attention of a literal member of the elite. "Hey Leonhardt, weird question but just, hear me out."

Leonhardt's eyebrows raised, "Go on?"

Shuffling into a more comfortable cross legged position now facing Leonhardt he asked, "What… What's it like being, you?"

The look he got in return wasn't what he was looking for. Instead of an answer, he got "I'm sorry?"

Elijah stumbled to recover, "Uhh I mean- Um. Like. Shit. Ok as in like, what is it like to be the No.2 Raven, to be part of the elite, a contracted Raven whose name is known by almost everyone who has any connection to the Corporations." Hoping that he hadn't totally screwed up his chances to learn what was potentially in store for his future, Elijah sat while Leonhardt pondered his answer. The longer he waited, the almost despondent look on the man's face began to worry him. Had he said something he shouldn't have?

Leonhardt looked up at him again, "Can I ask a question first, before I answer?"

"Sure thing."

"Why do you want to know?"

Elijah paused before replying, he had to be careful not to give the impression that he was shallow and interested only in fame and glory. "Well, to be honest, it's been a sorta, goal of mine for a long time to be the best, to achieve the status of Ninebreaker and well… I guess to show myself that I can be worth something other than, slightly above average." Leonhardt nodded slowly, closing his eyes.

"I can see why it could seem appealing, genuinely. Like you said, everyone knows our names. Those who stand in the Rank-S category, Amazigh, Mary Shelly, Sara Lee, myself and Berlioz, we are admired and almost worshiped. It's… It's…"

Elijah had never expected to see what looked like genuine pain on Leonhardt's face and almost began to regret asking his question when he continued. "It's horrifying. Your entire life organized and shaped by a Corporation to be shown off to the world. Your actions and work, held high as the pinnacle of Humanity's advances. But what are my actions? What is our work?"

Elijah was getting flashbacks to Tom's ill-timed question, we just take their money and do what they tell us? Suddenly Tom appeared far more insightful than Elijah had been in the last three years of his life.

"I won't go in too much detail, but if you weren't aware of it before, you should know that this life I live isn't one I would wish on anyone. I am grateful that the CEO of Rosenthal, who I'm sure you realise I am the son of, raised me with the view of a world made better. To right the many terrible wrongs we allowed in the past, the many crimes we commit today and to prevent the horrors we are capable of in the future. I truly believe in their vision and Rosenthal has strived to make it reality. It's one of the only reasons I still fight, because I know that behind all the destruction and hatred, there is a chance for something better in the future."

After all of that, Elijah needed a moment. He lent back, letting air out. "Shit I had no idea." It really was a shock to him, he hadn't expected such a rather depressing answer.

A small smile spread across Leonhardt's face, "It's not all doom and gloom I promise, but you have to remember, we're all still people at the end of the day. Even us 'elite' as you put it, we might have buried it deep, but we still carry some shreds of humanity in us."

That set off a train of thought in Elijah's head, "Even someone like Berlioz?"

Leonhardt frowned, "You sound like you're accusing him of being a machine." If the floor could swallow him whole it would save him from the hole he'd dug himself.

"Uhhhh no I did- I didn't mean it like that it's just…" As he was scrambling for a suitable answer, Leonhardt sighed loudly.

"I can understand why someone would consider a man like Berlioz to be… Less than human, given his history and image. I'm saying this as someone who has only spoken with him face to face a handful of times and I don't even know a fraction of what he has seen and done. But it's easy to tell, that his life has been hard. Someone of his skill doesn't pick up what he knows from a scrap or two, he has been fighting for a very, very long time."

This was something Elijah had assumed but hearing it from someone like Leonhardt, a Raven only a single rank below, made it apparent that the gap between them was more than a simple number.

"Berlioz can certainly be cold, distant, even appearing to be unfeeling in the most stressful of circumstance. But I promise you this, you would do well to remember that he is most certainly human." Leonhardt stared solemnly at the ground. Elijah was beginning to realise that there was far more to Berlioz that he had originally come to believe. It should have been obvious before, but it was clear as day now. His idea of the No.1, was perhaps, incorrect.


	3. Sudden Movements

Facing Leonhardt as he'd left had been strange. He didn't feel like he'd done anything wrong, but Elijah had obviously touched a nerve with his line of questioning. Even as someone he didn't know particularly well, Leonhardt was more than willing to stand up for Berlioz. It went to show that the personality he showed to the public wasn't false, he genuinely believed it. Another easy thing to see was Leonhardt and Sajjan knowing each other, their opinions and views would fit together like well-oiled cogs in a machine.

"Well Elijah, I hope that I don't have to pick you up off the floor again anytime soon, right?" Despite the joking tone, it was obviously something he didn't want to repeat.

"No, don't worry about it I'll keep an eye on it." He didn't want to promise just in case.

"Well, you're more than welcome to visit again, sober, but I'm heading off to Silverlight tonight as I have several company meetings I am obligated to attend." Elijah nodded along, Sliverlight was the name of Rosenthal's HQ, a vast tower of glass and steel with a large complex of offices, buildings and a large airstrip built against a cliff face. Unlike the other Corporations, Rosenthal had deliberately located Silverlight within a reasonable distance of several major population centers, allowing them to directly supply them in times of shortages. It was another indication that Rosenthal really was an oddity. In the current times, the Corporations usually attempted to distance themselves from their protected civilian population, treating them more like cattle than human beings.

Elijah thanked Leonhardt before leaving, making his way home. It hadn't been a long conversation, but it had certainly given him a lot more food for thought. It was likely that he'd take it over with Sajjan as he was always a good conversationalist. Part of it came down to his upbringing, Sajjan's parents had enough money in the past to secure a reasonable position in Rayleonard's legal department which in turn paid for his education. The other thing was Sajjan genuinely loved to learn. He spent a lot of time researching topics and was fascinated by anything new he didn't understand, in equal measure, he was happy to teach anything to people willing to listen.

Rounding the last corner, he walked up to the door, tapping the lock code into the panel on the side. Silently the door slide open. "Heeey, anyone here?"

"Elijah?" Sajjan's voice rang out from the living area down from the short corridor. Walking in, Sajjan was lying on the sofa, an open paper book lying on his chest.

"Yup, the one and only." The effects of the night before were starting to catch up with him so he made his way into the kitchen area and poured himself a glass of water.

"So, I'll be honest and say that I don't know anyone who has managed to work their way into the bed of Leonhardt Rosenthal in quite the same way you did."

Elijah felt his face go red but he made the decision not to rise to the jibe. "Yeah well, I actually got something out of it so hush you."

Seeing Sajjan's eyebrows raise a considerable amount made him regret his poor choice of wording. "I'm sorry I didn't quite hear that?"

"I- No I just- No wait stop stop stop thinking like that, damn. I mean I got the opportunity to talk to him about stuff, like, what it's like to be one of the best. It's not like I'd really get another chance like that."

"Oh?" Sajjan sat up right, placing the book on the low table in front of him while Elijah slumped into a large armchair. "You know if you'd wanted to speak to him you should have said, I might have been able to arrange something."

"Yeah don't let me forget that bombshell, my best friend is buddy buddy pals with the No.2 and never even mentioned it before?"

"Was it something that would really come up in conversation?"

Elijah grumbled to himself but moved on, "Well it was eye opening for a start, things up there are… Different to how I'd imagined."

Sajjan frowned, "I do hope you realized that it wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows for them?"

"I- No I just, I just didn't think they would be so… Resentful." Elijah was struggling to try and convert his thoughts into cohesive sentences. "Leonhardt sounded almost dejected when I told him what I wanted. It just threw me off guard was all."

Sajjan let out a huff, "In these times, I'm honestly glad there are people like him who still believe in our future, I know many who see no light at the end of the tunnel."

He wasn't wrong, the world was not a pleasant place. Less than a year before he was born, the world before was burned to ashes by a malfunctioning orbital directed energy weapon called Orion. Developed by the former United States to try and regain their position as the dominant super power in 2089. It was designed to act as a second strike in the event the US was attacked by surprise and had an automated program built in to allow it to target enemy positions autonomously. However during a test run, the program malfunctioned and locked out all external access, believing itself to be under attack and proceeded to fire on every major population center. It killed nearly 70% of Humanity and brought society crumbling down. While surviving governments scrambled to try and recover, the Corporations used the chaos to their advantage, overthrowing and replacing the shattered countries and nations, replacing them with corporate regions defined by new borders.

Those who lived were herded into rapidly pre-fabricated settlements and assigned new work under the Corporation who happened to take over their respective region. Those who had previously held status or money were offered a higher standard of living while the rest eventually lived in bizarre and sterile housing sectors. In the following years, settlements began to grow explosively and some set about self-governing themselves as independent, yet monitored, states. Of course, several of these new states declared war on each other for resources and fertile land. The Corporation's had little issue with this, in fact, they encouraged it. When two independent factions began hostilities, it created opportunities for the sale of weapons and machines of war. Corporations would anonymously support certain factions in their engagements, creating and molding the conflicts into proxy wars that would generate the most profit. It was in these early wars that the Ravens came into being.

Beginning as an unremarkable settlement, they fought many others to claim more power, gathering and maintaining their acquired weapons. Slowly, over time, they began to be noticed by the Corporations. Eventually, Armored Cores, the same used by the elite forces of the Corporations came into their possession and their pilots became highly feared on the battlefield. Eventually, this small colony became large enough to warrant due attention from even the largest Corporations, who had been hiring out this settlement's ACs to fight in other orchestrated conflicts. They couldn't be ignored. At the same time, the colony recognised they had become too conspicuous and had to make a play with the power and influence they held. Meeting with representatives of the Corporations, they declared their intention to become an independent power, with a new base of operations, fully recognised by the Corporations. In addition, they made their most daring demand, that the Corporation's turn over control of all Armored Cores to them, in turn, they would dedicate themselves as a mercenary faction, fully committed to fighting on the frontlines of any and all battlefields for a price.

To their surprise, the Corporations agreed to all terms. The settlement became the Ravens, extremely skilled mercenaries in sole control of one of the most powerful weapons in the world. The most powerful Ravens signed an exclusivity contract with a single Corporation, effectively signing over their life for a certain period of time. From then, until the expiration of the contract, that Raven became part of the many far reaching arms of that Corporation. Typically, the largest and most powerful Corporation was the only one who could afford the No.1 ranking Raven.

Today, that was Rayleonard, who hired Berlioz to work for them. Rosenthal instantly signed on Leonhardt, being the son of the CEO made this a rather obvious development. The Bernard and Felix Foundation, or BFF, signed on Mary Shelley, a Raven who used their AC frame and weapons to their greatest capabilities. Sara Lee was the signed Raven for Leonemeccanica, her contract included terms regarding additional payment bonuses for using experimental weapons in live combat. Finally, Amazigh was signed onto Eqbal, who typically operated on the eastern continents, meaning he was rarely seen on the Ark.

Things hadn't changed much since then, a few borders had shifted, some settlements abandoned and others rapidly built. The Corporation's called their current plan for the world, Pax Economica, or Economic Peace, where through their own meddling and intervention they could keep the world in this state of slow, stagnant development, ensuring that they remained in control for as long as possible under the guise of rebuilding the world. It was deceitful and at the end of the day, wrong. However, everyone owed the Corporations, if it weren't for them, it was unlikely Humanity would have recovered so quickly from the Great Destruction.

"I'll admit, that light, it's real dim. I know it's there but it's hard to make out. I'm glad there are people like you and Leonhardt willing to lead us in the right direction." Elijah wasn't joking, with the state the world was in, keeping a positive outlook on things was genuinely draining.

Sajjan smiled warmly, "It is no trouble Elijah. It makes me happy that I am able to help you." As Sajjan said this, something struck him.

"Hey Sajjan, where's Tom?"

"Oh? He accepted a request from BFF a couple of hours ago. Nothing serious, a group of marauders had been harassing one of their long range firing positions and BFF wanted to send a message. They thought a Raven would do that nicely."

It wasn't uncommon for tiny groups of survivors to strike out into the barren wastelands, taking military equipment with the intent on raiding remote outposts to sustain themselves outside the system the Corporations had created. It was unlikely that Tom would have any trouble with them.

"Ahhhh fair enough, he'll have a blast." As he said this, he paused. "Wait, Jackhammer was trashed? It won't be back in usable condition for at least another day or so. How did he go on a mission?"

"He's using a TYPE-HOGIRE on loan from Rosenthal, it was the only one he could reasonably afford."

Elijah let out a long groan, "He's gone out on a rental? I mean, I know he's not pushing himself today but if something goes wrong and he wrecks that too he's gonna get himself into serious trou-"

Sajjan interrupted him, "Elijah, Elijah, I know you worry about him, but at the end of the day all we can do is support him, he is just as much a Raven as you and I. Regardless of the ranking system, he is just as capable of making his own decisions. We don't have the right to, in a manner of speaking, clip his wings. He will learn with time and we should be there to help him along the way."

"I know…" Elijah's worries regarding Tom weren't unfounded, there were times when he had come very close to falling into debt, with only a short string of successful missions to save him from going into the red. He left Sajjan to his book, leaving to go talk to the repair crew working on Havok.

*****

One of the greatest things about having living quarters on the outermost layer of the Ark was the extremely large windows, that now allowed you to see the nearly perfect night sky outside. The clock on the table next to his bed glowed 11:35 in a pale green. Regular sleep schedules were a thing of the past for Ravens, you caught a few hours to and from missions, any time actually in a bed was to be enjoyed to the greatest extent possible. However the interrupted pattern usually meant sleeping any more than five hours at a time was unusual, Elijah had managed just over six.

Slowly stumbling into the living room, the familiar sound of snoring rang out from the sofa. As expected, Elijah found the sprawled form of Tom asleep in his jumpsuit, one leg hanging over the back and an arm drooped onto the floor.

"Yo, wake up." Elijah smacked his leg, knocking it down.

"Aj- huh wuh hm? Oh hey, what's up?"

"Where's Sajjan?"

"Uhhhh he's out, either on a mission or doing Sajjan things, I dunno man I just heard him leave."

"Riiiight", Elijah wasn't entirely convinced but let it go anyway. "More importantly, how did your mission go?"

Tom visibly stiffened as he turned to look away, "M-mission? Oh! Yeah no that went fine yeah."

Something was up. "Oh really? Mind if I check the re-"

"Fine fine! I screwed it up! I got blindsided by some jumped up MT pilot in a Solarwind and had to abort."

The desire to throw something was overpowering, "I'm sorry what? You failed _another_ mission?! Dude, how are you gonna keep this up? You barely made enough to pay for a day's worth of meals yesterday and today you blew that and more on a rental that you just brought home in pieces!"

Tom rolled over, his face now buried into a sofa cushion, muffling his voice, "Come on gimme a break man, y-"

"No! No breaks! This has gotta stop! There is no one else to blame for this but you! Tell me, when was the last time you step foot in a simulator, huh? When?! Weeks? Months?" Elijah was fully aware that he was probably taking this too far but in his eyes, Tom needed to be told. "You are never going to improve if you don't, push yourself! Going back to the matter of money, you still owe Sajjan and myself nearly 100,000 credits between us! Are we ever gonna see any of that? Before the end of the year?"

Tom was almost flinching away, visible shocked at the sudden tirade, "Woah holy shit back off dude! The hell's got you so worked up!?"

Realising he perhaps had gone a little far, Elijah let out a long sigh, "I- Dude I'm sorry but, you've gotta realise that you are in a pretty bad sit-"

"Elijah, seriously you think I don't know this? You think I don't know the shit I'm in? I mean Christ, I haven't paid for my own food in nearly a week! If it weren't for you two, I'd have to leave the Ravens! I couldn't afford it because of the fact _I keep fucking up_. Believe me, I _know_ that I'm in the shit right now. I'm trying to work on it but shit keeps knocking me down, I was gonna talk to Sajjan about it but hey as you're so eager now, I got a mission offer a couple of weeks back, they said they wanted Ravens who were struggling to progress for some tests, they wanted a recording of a mission where I genuinely try to succeed but fail and I was waiting for something to come along that would be suitable."

Elijah was silent while he listened, wondering where exactly this was going. Tom continued, "So, I've sent them the footage that the mission operator captured and I'm waiting to hear back from them some time soon."

"Wait, so do you actually know what they are offering as a reward for this?" Elijah was concerned that Tom was being pulled along for a ride but it wasn't impossible that he was onto something legitimate.

"Yeah they said if I get into their program and pass then I'll have a minimum reward of half a million credits. Not too shabby if I do say so myself."

Elijah had to let out a breath at that, half a million credits was nothing to turn your nose at, very few missions were seen to offer such a bounty. "Alright, that's reason enough to pay attention, but how long is this, 'program' of theirs? I mean, how long are you gonna have to wait for this money, _if_ you pass that is?"

"Holy shit Elijah could you possibly have some good faith to go around? Or are you too busy picking away at every fleeting moment of success I have to realise that _you're being an asshole?!_ You know what, screw it, I don't care what you think, fuck you, I'm outta here."

Elijah didn't have the words to try and piece together an apology. Tom was up and out of the door before he could actually comprehend what happened. "Uuuuuuggghhhhhh." He rubbed his face with both hands trying to work out how exactly he was going to explain this new development to Sajjan.

Slowly trudging back into his room, he sat at the small personal computer which came as standard with the room. After his eyes adjusted to the sudden bright monitor, he opened application that allowed Ravens to browse approved mission requests by the Corporations. A few minutes of scrolling later showed that nothing currently on offer was worth the effort in relation to the offered pay. Corporations often put out multiple mission requests at a time, to try and snag a Raven willing to have their strings pulled.

What did, however, catch his attention was a small number '1' next to his personal inbox. Opening it, there was a message from an Aspina representative that simply said, _Open if interested, Raven._ The actual content of the message was a random selection of letters and numbers that were highlighted as a link to another page.

Deciding to follow the rabbit hole, he clicked the link. To his surprise, the mission browser reopened and instantly loaded a page that clearly wasn't publicly listed. The mission page was laid out in the standard format.

_'A Test for those Seeking Change.'_

_'To the Raven reading this, the mission you see before you is simply a test to see how strong the resolve of those who claim to lead the world is. Rayleonard has become lax in the recent years and we seek to disturb the balance. They will either recognize their fault and all will be well, or others will smell the blood in the water and hunt the wounded creature down.'_

_'Mission Location: Rayleonhard's No.74 Energy Cell Factory_

_Mission Objective: Disrupt Operation of the Facility_

_Reward: 300,000Cr_

_Assistance: N/A_

_Mission Time/Date: 02:30/22-08-2112_

_Corporate Entity: Aspina Research and Development_

_Note: Discussion of this mission is bound by corporate law, Ravens found to be breaching this law will be sentenced accordingly.'_

Elijah leant back in the chair, attempting to comprehend what exactly he was reading. It wasn't normal that was for sure. The Corporations often tried to pass off their missions as legitimate engagements but it was usually easy to see through their weak façade. This came off as something entirely different, this was a Corporation going for blood and of all the Corporations it was literally the smallest, Aspina, versus the largest, Rayleonard.

What was clouding his judgment was the extraordinary reward. Three hundred thousand credits for a solo mission wasn't unheard of but it was not common.

But it was enough to push him over the edge, shoving his doubts to the back of his head, he clicked the accept button, the mission page disappearing. He was due to deploy for the mission in only a few hours, but it was enough time for him to go to the hangar and ensure that Havok was in good condition before being loaded onto a transporter.


	4. It's Natural to Be Afraid

As much as it was virtually silent inside the cockpit of Havok, even attempting to catch a few more hours of sleep had been impossible, his mind still ticking over the unusual mission request. Had he not been told by the provider to not speak to anyone regarding what he was doing, he would have talked over it with Sajjan. Typically between the two of them, they could work out the details in most problems but on his own he felt stumped. Elijah flicked open the direct channel to the transporter cockpit, "Can I get an ETA on drop? I'm going to be dead of boredom by the time we get there." Trying to sound less anxious than he actually was.

Whether it was the pilot or co-pilot, they didn't sound particularly pleased with him, "Raven, that's the fourth time you've asked, you've got fifteen minutes till we reach the drop point now please, sit tight and you'll know when we're ready." The line went dead with a click, Elijah slumped back into the seat. Aspina was the smallest fish in the corporate pond, they were effectively little more than a research colony that developed key parts for AC and MT components. Supporting less than 10,000 people in their single installation, they had respectable income, but almost never contracted Ravens aside for test purposes, diverting most of their resources back into their work. Carrying out a direct strike, against Rayleonard of all targets was more than just out of character, it was downright absurd.

But, at the end of the day Elijah knew that they could do whatever they wanted with their money, the Corporations were more than happy to spend billions on arming people to kill each other, it was literally his job description, fight for the highest bidder. It was exactly like he'd said to Tom on their last mission, 'Why is it now you're asking this question?'. _Why am I questioning this now? Why not before? Just because it's not regular_? Is killing people for money considered regular now? Before the Great Destruction, Elijah knew soldiers got paid for their work, but they signed up for reasons other than just the pay, to defend their country or to invade another. Those reasons didn't really exist anymore. Nobody he'd met in his whole life felt any genuine loyalty to the Corporations, they knew how the balance of power worked. The only reason they were provided with protection was so the other Corporations didn't take their work force.

Elijah's train of thought was derailed when the com' channel crackled to life, "Alright Raven, we are five minutes from the drop point, get your AC ready". Whoever was flying this thing, Elijah hoped they weren't this abrupt with all their clients. Turning to the side, he began the familiar process of switching the AC from a low power passive mode provided by the transport's internal gantry, to his own generator. The light levels inside the cockpit jumped in increments as various monitors and displays fired up, the humming behind him confirming that the generator was working as intended. Quickly running a system check, the onboard computer did split second stress tests on all sensors and software, ensuring that nothing would fail at an inopportune time.

The test came back green across the board and Elijah opened the channel to his mission operator, "Operator, drop is in two minutes, confirming mission objective disrupt Rayleonard Energy Cell Factory operations by any means necessary."

The operator's rather stiff and professional reply came back almost instantly, "Mission objective confirmed, report back on touchdown, Raven." As the channel closed, Elijah frowned slightly, was that it? He'd dealt with detached or indifferent operators before but it still bothered him, he'd come to the conclusion that it was either a coping mechanism to deal with the newer, less competent Ravens getting seriously injured or killed in their first missions. Or that they legitimately didn't care and treated this like any other job, neither option was really a positive. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, he waited for the pilot to tell him when to go. It didn't take long.

"Raven, we are entering mission area, you are cleared to exit the transport. Good hunting." The second the channel closed, Elijah felt a slight shift which he recognised as the gantry holding Havok shifting forwards towards the now opening rear of the transport. Elijah was familiar with solo missions, they had their advantages over paired missions, but it was always nice to know there was someone else out their covering your back, it could sometimes be rather unnerving when you realise you're on your own. A dull clunk brought him back and the main monitor in front of him showed nothing but the sky. He pulled a small handle above his head and the clamps keeping him in the gantry came loose. Allowing Havok's weight to shift forwards slightly, the AC tipped slowly before falling out of the back.

The feeling of weightlessness, along with his spinning vision and rapidly dropping altimeter confirmed that he had cleared the transport and was on his way in. Using the artificial horizon provided on the HUD, he orientated Havok so it was falling feet first, the boosters flaring to life as Elijah pulsed them, gradually slowing the descent. Less than a minute later, with only three hundred meters to go, Havok's boosters roared louder, allowing for an almost graceful touchdown.

"Operator, confirm mission start, Havok switching to combat mode." Something Elijah liked about nearly every mission operator was their consistently rapid replies even if they sounded like you were the least interesting thing on their mind at the time.

"Mission start confirmed Havok, you are free to engage, good luck." At those words, Elijah pushed the boosters to 80%, shifting Havok's weight forwards, the AC began to slide over the baked ground. Elijah kept the angle of the boosters higher than normal due to the uneven terrain, keeping the actual weight on the ground low. This was something you learnt to do very quickly as high speed accident's in ACs weren't pretty. Watching a rookie stumble his AC at nearly 400km/h was never pleasant and recordings of these accidents when they did occur was often enough to convince new Ravens to pay attention in training. Even on relatively flat surfaces, unless it's a hardened metal surface, it's generally considered good practice to keep your applied weight down to prevent you suddenly cutting into whatever you're trying to boost over.

The altimeter had replaced itself with a distance to target, Elijah glancing at this saw he had just 6km left to cover and the facility was beginning to become clearer in the distance. Elijah switched from his machine guns to his AS launchers, deciding on a first strike with missiles then following up with machine gun fire when closer in. It made sense in his head, this facility wasn't exactly defended, it wasn't even really what he'd consider a legitimate target, it relied on its isolated location in the middle of nowhere to keep it safe. With a defensive force of a handful of MTs and infantry, the main worry of the mission would be doing enough damage and getting out before Rayleonard mounted a decent response. While Ravens had immunity to corporate counter-attack once they were homeward bound, they all knew that they were fair game on the battlefield.

Only 2km were left when Havok's FCS began recognising targets ahead of him. The missile launchers covers flipped open, exposing the warheads inside. He was seconds from squeezing the trigger when his com' channel came to life, "Havok, you have an inbound target closing on you from your 12 o'clock at high speed. I'm identif-" His voice suddenly changed dramatically and lost the professional tone, "Ahhhhh shit! Havok, disengage! Withdraw! You need to pull the fuck out!" Elijah had no idea what he was talking about but eased back on the throttle dropping his speed significantly.

"Wait what?" He questioned back, "What is it? What's happening?"

No answer came back except what sounded like a microphone being dropped and very distant shouting. "Someone get Fiona on the line and tell me what the hell he's doing out there?!" Elijah's confusion was not alleviated but panic began to set in, the operator had been nothing but cold and distant until now, what suddenly made him act like this? Havok's FCS lit up, designating a high priority target approaching over the facility ahead. The sound of a microphone rattling echoed over the still open channel, "Havok I said disengage! That's an inbound AC! It's Supplice!"

At that, his bones froze. Supplice. The Armored Core belonging to the Number One, the Ace, Berlioz. Elijah dropped Havok into reverse thrust, digging Havok's heels into the ground shifting his weight way back and firing the forward facing boosters. His speed dropped like a rock, the straps holding him into his seat, cutting deep into both shoulder and chest. Elijah paid no mind to it, his focus entirely on the AC slowly coming into view in front of him, the dust from his stop clearing at a snail's pace.

Only moments later, Supplice dropped down from its flight path, descending slowly, around two hundred meters ahead of him, placing himself very deliberately between Havok and the facility. Despite standing nearly a full meter shorter than Havok, the almost black AC was intimidating in its own right, the borderline lightweight 03-AALIYAH frame sported many sharp edges, curved surfaces and points giving it the impression of not being safe to stand next to. In each hand it carried an assault rifle, one from Rayleonard, the other from BFF, with an Arisawa Grenade Launcher on its right back mount. For its auxiliary shoulder weapons, a pair of BFF flare launchers were fitted, allowing Berlioz to divert enemy missiles away from his AC.

Elijah listened in on the still open channel but heard nothing but static, meaning he was on his own for now. He closed the channel from his end. Options were, retreat as advised by his operator, or to continue with the mission, engaging in what was 100% now a suicide mission. For now, he switched from his missiles to machine guns, raising both at Supplice, his FCS confirming a lock. Interestingly the usual warning that an enemy FCS was locking him wasn't displayed, meaning Supplice wasn't actually targeting him right now.

When his com channel opened, he expected the operator, but he didn't recognise the voice that came through, "Raven, I don't want to fight you, I'm asking that you make the right choice and turn around. This doesn't have to go any further than this. I was only told to defend this facility, I'm not obligated to engage you." The calm measured delivery of the request took Elijah off guard slightly. There was virtually no hostility in Berlioz's voice, he almost wanted to believe that he could leave without being attacked.

Something about that struck a nerve though, _What? He thinks he can just turn me around? Give up without even trying? How can I possibly aim for his position if I'm not even willing to challenge him?_ Elijah's mind fought the two conflicting ideas, one begging him to take the offer, leave unharmed and be more prepared the next time. The other, screaming that this was his chance! The chance he'd wanted for so long, to prove he could be the best, to prove he was worth something! He grit his teeth, but replied, "You don't wanna fight? What could you possibly be afraid of _Ninebreaker_?" He put a harsh edge on the title that Berlioz held, his hands shaking on the controls, his eyes fixed on the overlapping gun sights blinking red, like they were pleading with him to pull the trigger. He could do it, at this range, there was no way Berlioz could avoid every round. Berlioz's reply came back, "You've got it wrong Raven, I'm not afraid, I'm just tired. Right now I can hear your operator begging mine to call me off, saying that you're not nearly ready to deal with me. They're right, you're not ready. I won't kill you, but you'll leave here knowing what death looks like."

The icy tone in Berlioz's voice tipped Elijah over the edge, he squeezed the triggers, both guns roared sending a hail of shells at Supplice. He was in the process of beginning to send Havok sliding to the right when he froze, his eyes locked on the main monitor in horror. Every on target round fired only got within a few meters of Supplice before suddenly impacting with what looked like a swirling sphere of yellow and green particles, electricity arcing off it. Not a single shell made it though, leaving completely unharmed. His pause left him open, a bright flash of light silhouetted Supplice and in what felt like the blink of an eye, the black AC was standing in front of him, side on with his left hand rifle pointed at him. Elijah then realised Berlioz wasn't aiming at his head for a reason, the pilot sat in the chest of an AC, which is exactly where Elijah was right now.

There was no mistaking the difference between not only their skill in piloting, but the performance of their ACs. Supplice was equipped with something that rendered it apparently invulnerable and Berlioz could handle the machine with millimeter precision, lining his rifle up with Havok's chest in a single maneuver. Berlioz's voice echoed through his head, the earlier words suddenly making an awful lot more sense, _'You'll leave here knowing what death looks like'_. He certainly knew now, there would have been no fight, no struggle. Unprepared was an understatement, he never had a chance from the start. What had seemed to be such an achievable goal now appeared impossible. He felt stupid for thinking it would be so simple. Supplice's rifle lowered slowly, "I never liked fighting other Ravens, it always felt wrong. Something about taking up weapons against people that live with you, not exactly the nicest of things." Elijah's entire perspective of the man everyone revered for his combat ability and flawless mission record was being twisted with every word.

This wasn't the man that everyone talked about, it couldn't be. _Never liked fighting other Ravens? Wasn't that the fastest way to climb the ranks?_ Even with the unspoken rule of using lethal force against each other, accidents happened. Ravens would occasionally go too far and one of them would end up either in critical condition or dead. It was always sad when it happened, the thrill of a fight could be too much for some, they'd get lost in it. It wasn't uncommon for those who killed other Ravens to leave simply because they can't stand the looks they got from everyone else on the Ark. You effectively became an outcast. But for Berlioz to say that, someone who clearly must have fought other Ravens dozens of times, maybe even into the triple digits, how had he come so far? While he scrambled to try and process what was happening, a request for a com channel blinked on a secondary monitor, from his operator. Leaving the request open, he spoke to Berlioz his voice still shaking somewhat, "S-so what now? You're j-just gonna let me go?" Supplice took a single step back.

"I'm a man of my word Raven, so long as you don't pull anything, you can leave here unharmed. Like I said, all I was told was to defend this facility, forcing the enemy to retreat falls under those conditions." After a sigh, "Please, just go." With that, Supplice raised both rifles, aimed square at his chest once again.

Flicking off Havok's FCS, Elijah closed the channel, allowing the operator's to open, "Havok? Are you there? Havok? Answer me!" He sounded genuinely panicked, which made Elijah feel somewhat guilty for keeping him waiting.

He wanted to keep his voice sounding untroubled, but it was virtually impossible while staring down the two barrels of Supplice's rifles. "Operator, this is Havok." The voice on the other end breathed what sounded like a monumental sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God, what are you doing?! Didn-" Elijah cut him off.

"I am d-declaring mission failure, I am falling back to pre-designated pick up point. Please have the transporter ready. Havok switching to normal mode." The operator replied immediately.

"Understood, mission failure confirmed, fall back Raven." On his screen a large 'Mission Failure' flashed in red before fading out. "I will inform Berlioz's operator." The channel closed, only moments later Supplice lowered his weapons, turning around and walking away.

Elijah had previously had many ideas about how his first confrontation with Berlioz would have gone. Hundreds of imagined battles and fantasies. Not a single one of them matched the reality before him. Leonhardt was right to question his perspective before, as it was clearly incorrect, if not flat out false. In his mind, Elijah had built up Berlioz to be something he clearly wasn't, there was no pride, there was no showy display of power, not a hint of arrogance. The skill and ability was clearly there, but he chose to let his target go instead of fighting.

There had to be a reason for this. There had to be a reason as to why he acted like this, he was told to remember that even the top Ravens were people at the end of the day, despite what others may say or believe, but this was so radically different that he couldn't help but wonder why? He turned Havok around, lighting its boosters and sliding away. It wouldn't take long for him to get to the pickup point, but the journey felt like hours, his thoughts running around his head. If he got the opportunity to, he would try to speak to Leonhardt again, maybe he could help make sense of what happened. If anyone knew Berlioz, he would likely be one of the few.


	5. A Shot Below the Belt

Seeing the Ark again was a welcome sight, having traded the warm but cramped interior of Havok for the somewhat chilly cargo hold, he enjoyed the passing clouds as the midday sun lit the clear blue sky. Even something as mundane as pleasant weather was enough to distract him. His encounter with Berlioz more than lingered in the back of his head, wild theories running around his mind preventing any hint of rest.

Going over it repeatedly wasn't likely doing him any favours as overthinking anything could lead to assumptions that would later be proven incorrect. But he couldn't help it. A byproduct of dedicating himself to achieving the position of No.1 was that he had in turn become almost obsessed with the man who currently held that title. First Leonhardt had warned him to change his perspective, now Berlioz himself was forcibly reshaping that perspective whether he wanted it to or not.

If it really was an obsession, which it wasn't hard to call, then Elijah had to do something about that. It was one thing to be focused, but obsession consumed. It devoured your every waking thought until you changed as a person and something else was spat out.

The familiar jolt of the transporter touching down on the Ark runway brought him back. There was no time for self-reflection, it was something he could return to later. As the transporter pulled into the hangar, the sight of people all heading in the same direction struck him as strange.

 _Is there an event on?_ It was the only logical reason that every single person was leaving the Hangar.

The moment the ramp dropped, both Thomas and Sajjan were standing, waving wildly at him. "Yo! Elijah, get down here!" Tom was yelling at him, Sajjan equally enthused about something.

"Elijah hurry! You'll miss it!" _So something is happening._ Quickly walking to them, he found himself suddenly being dragged along by the pair in the direction of the cafeteria along with everyone else.

Exhausted already, Elijah spluttered, "Could someo- OW someone explain what exac- DAMNIT LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING ASSHOLE exactly is going on here?!" The throng of staff bustled the trio as they worked their way into the extremely crowded dining area.

Sajjan answered while still dragging him forwards, "Global Armaments i- Ugh excuse me please thank you making an announcement regarding their future plans! People suspect they might be making a move onto the AC frame market finally!" _Global Armaments on the AC frame market?_ GA had for the longest time withdrawn their AC parts from sale due to poor performance in comparison to even the cheapest frames by other Corporations. Despite holding considerable power and wealth in their own regard, they had become somewhat of a figure to chuckle at.

The fact that they had no AC frame available gave the impression that they couldn't deliver when it really counted, as such, the few products they did sell were rarely seen in use. GA making a move now after many years of producing nothing but thousands of MTs could be the sign that change was coming. GA's power came from the fact they built over 65% of the world's MTs. Nearly every commonly seen MT frame like the GBN-02 'Gibbon' or the BMH-11 'Behemoth' were GA designs sold off in bulk.

Tom's voice cut through the noise in both his ears and in his head, "Dude I bet they're gonna show off some cool new weapon system! It's been too damn long since we've had a broadcast demonstration!" Tom was having no trouble weaving his way through the crowd, effortlessly flowing between shoulders and hips like a bizarre human fluid.

After a little pushing and shoving, the three of them stood in a prime position in front of the main displays. "Do we actually have any information on what they're really doing? This seems pretty out of the blue." GA was typically quiet if not flat out silent when it came to most major corporate dealings, tending to stay in the back and cast their opinion quickly without fuss or flourish.

To suddenly declare a massive public announcement was entirely unlike them. Sajjan to his left leaned in so that Elijah could hear him over the chattering mass around them. "In all seriousness, we only heard about it while waiting for you to return. We were going to surprise you when everyone started leaving. Speaking of that, how was the mission?"

Elijah had actually managed to stop thinking about it for the first time since returning home but Sajjan now dragged it back into the forefront of his mind. "It was… Well I'm not actually allowed to tell you the mission details. All I can say is that I failed, I was faced with an opponent I couldn't possibly hope to have challenged. It was strange, very strange." The look on Sajjan's face hinted at wanting to know more, but a loud blare of music from the room's speakers signaled that the broadcast was about to begin.

"Yo! Yo guys it's starting! It's- STOP CHATTIN' AND WATCH THE DAMN SCREEN GEEZE GUYS COME ON!" Tom did his best to silence the group as the video feed went live.

The screen displayed a pale man who looked to be between thirty to forty years old sitting at a large wood desk. Wearing glasses and a plain suit, he could have been any businessman if it weren't for the large gold letters GA behind him mounted on the wall. He shifted slightly in his seat before speaking, "Hello Everyone, my name is Miles Torus and I am the CEO of Global Armaments. I first would like to apologise to those interrupted by this broadcast, I promise this will be brief and concise."

The entire room was silent, everyone listening intently to every word. Miles continued, "As many of you are aware, GA has for the longest time, struggled in the Armored Core market. Our dear friends at Rayleonard, Leonemeccanica and Rosenthal have led the charge in that field and we commend them in every advance they have made. However…"

Miles stood up from the seat and began to walk around the desk, the camera following, "We at GA, have grown very tired. Tired of straining our necks to gaze up at those who have taken ahold of the world's reins."

He positioned himself on the edge of the desk, folding his hands into his lap. "With this in mind, GA has decided to take action, to do something about this imbalance of power."

Everyone was waiting on baited breath. This was it. Elijah's mind was going a million miles an hour and the silence made it sound like a hurricane of ideas where whirling around.

Miles stared into the camera without a hint of emotion.

"As of this moment, Global Armaments declares war on all the Corporations of the world."

In the silence of the cafeteria, those words felt like an explosion. People shouting out in confusion, yelling with friends, pointing, panicking. Only when Miles began speaking again did the noise fall.

"With this declaration, we aim to secure GA's place as the premiere Corporation, the new power that the world answers to. But to do this, Rayleonard must be dragged from their throne and killed."

Elijah couldn't think straight. There was no other word for this than madness. It was absolutely absurd, _Declaring war on everyone?! How on Earth are they going to fight everyone at once?!_ Not to mention a very direct and open threat against Rayleonard, who would not take this lightly.

Elijah listened intently as Miles carried on, "With that in mind, I present, our opening act…" Miles swept his arm to the side with a flourish as the feed flipped to a new image. This time it was what looked like a camera feed facing a large building that sat atop an artificial island. The shape was instantly recognizable by almost anyone. What looked like a cone cut down the middle pointing at an angle into the sky with multiple supporting pillars spread out from a second, separate section holding the highest parts up. It was Exavil, Rayleonard's headquarters.

Several seconds passed, nothing happened. Tom leaned around Sajjan to face Elijah, "Hey, did something go wrong? Someone ch-" Elijah wasn't paying attention, his eyes locked on the horror unfolding on the screen.

Almost immediately as Tom had begun speaking, three massive explosions blasted out from the side of Exavil, the thin high point shattering into pieces, glass and metal scattering around. Two more explosions bloomed out from the support structure, the pillars crumbling into black smoke and fire. Another blast came from the water, sending a thin spray in front of Exavil.

It was only seconds later that the building emitted a terrible groan and began to collapse. The sound of grinding metal ringing out. Only moments later it was over, the once grand structure reduced to fire and rubble.

There was no shouting, no panic, everyone was rooted to the spot in shock. GA's 'opening act' was more than a display of power, it was an almost assuredly fatal blow against their greatest opponent in their only minutes old war. It was instantly apparent that this war, was no orchestrated affair, it was not a proxy war in search of the greatest profit.

It was real.

The feed switched back to Miles, who now wore a wry smile on his face, "As you can see, there are no empty threats here, no false assumptions. GA is out to seize the power that we have been denied for too long. Not to leave the irregulars out, I have a message for those of you who call yourselves Ravens, undoubtedly watching from the comfort and safety of your 'Ark'."

He pushed away from the desk, striding slowly towards the camera, until his smiling face filled the screen.

"You Ravens have had your time. Before this war is over, your home will burn and your lives will be over. Your Ark will fall, as will every single one of you."

The feed went black.

The shouting started again.

It was all noise, voices blending into one incoherent mess.

"Wait what just happened!?"

"Was that real!?"

"My Dad worked at Exavil, was he there?!"

"Are we next?!"

That was an important question that flashed through Elijah's mind, Are we next? He looked up at Sajjan expecting to get his attention, however he was already standing just outside the cafeteria area, phone to his ear. It only took a moment for realization to kick in and the bottom of his stomach dropped out. _Of course, Sajjan's mother worked for Rayleonard and had made many trips to Exavil on business. If she'd gone there today…_

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Tom with genuine worry on his face, "Dude, are… Are we gonna be ok?" It took a moment before Elijah was able to put on a shaky smile.

"Don't worry man, I'm sure we'll be fine. The Ark and the Ravens won't go down easy, yeah?"

Elijah wasn't entirely sure he'd convinced him, but before he had a chance to continue, the PA system chimed before a man's voice resonated over the din. "This is Govenor Archambault," the room fell into silence almost immediately, Elijah was starting to wonder if there was some bizarre training that allowed the Ravens to pay attention at the drop of a hat. "As I'm sure you're aware, all of us here on the Ark saw GA's broadcast. We have already spoken with the Vice-President of Rayleonard and he has confirmed that what we saw was indeed, real. Exavil has been destroyed, with the presumed loss of all lives. That includes Victor Rayleonard, the President of the Corporation."

A low murmur broke out, several people began crying. "What is important is this, GA's declaration of war with both the Corporations and ourselves is being treated as a genuine threat against our lives. For the first time in our short history, the Ravens are, as a single whole, at war with a Corporation."

There was a brief pause, Sajjan made his way back through the crowd to the two of them, a tired smile on his face. Leaning in he said, "I just spoke with my mother, she was home sick today so she is safe."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Elijah was about to say how glad he was when the Governor continued, "In light of th-" The sound of someone shouting in the background interrupted him, the voices were too quiet to make out but the Governor was still audible.

"What? Can we get a s- No I need confirmation that's what we're seeing." A pause. "Are you sure? Damnit, fine. No shut that down. Deploy all defensive positions, I want a reactionary force on the Ark deck as soon as possible."

Elijah's eyes widened without his bidding, _Deploy defensive positions? A reactionary force?_ Both of those things added up to terrifying results that Elijah didn't want to accept.

"That's unnecessary, we'll speak t- Look we don't have time for that, put the Ark in lockdown now!"

 _Lockdown._ It meant exactly what it sounded like. All inbound and outbound transfers were either diverted or cancelled, no missions could be launched or accepted. The Ark would be put into a position with only a single purpose.

Defence.

As his thoughts processed this, the Govenor spoke again, confirming everyone's fears. "Attention all, our Early Warning System has detected numerous incoming signals, they cannot be verified at this time but we must assume that they intend to attack the Ark. We have only minutes before they clear the no-fly zone, everyone is to take cover and remain calm. We will make it through this."

As the PA system went silent, the natural light in the Cafeteria slowly began to fade.

The door that lead to the Cafeteria opened onto a walkway area that on the very outside of the Ark, large single pane windows like the one that comprised a wall of Elijah's living quarters, they provided fantastic lighting as the midday sun streamed in.

That light was now being blocked out as segmented thick metal sheets began to descend over the windows. This was part of lockdown, those windows were the weakest part of the Ark. Even the engines that held the Ark up in the air had more armour.

This wasn't the only feature of lockdown, at the same time, the large armoured doors that were usually left open around the Ark began to slowly close, sealing each area off. It was a matter of compartmentalization. Should one section take heavy damage or catch fire, its spread to other areas of the Ark would be limited.

As the doors leading to and from the Cafeteria shut, the lighting switched from standard white to a dull red, to preserve power for the Ark's defense systems.

This made for a poor environment to keep calm in.

Panic set in almost immediately, people pushing and shoving. A single voice rang out loud and clear, "Everyone! Please make your way to the back of the Café! Keep as far away from the door as possible!"

It was Sajjan. Elijah had known him to be collected and calm in times of stress but this was just another example of how absolutely dependable the man was.

Elijah grabbed ahold of Tom's arm and dragged him back to where everyone was gathering.

In the dull light and with the only sound being the grinding of doors closing and shutters lowering, they could do nothing but sit, wait and hope.


	6. The Day the World Went Away

The deep sound of metal moving against metal continued even after the bulkheads and shutters had closed. Tom, visibly agitated like the majority of the crowd hissed, "The hell is that noise still going on for? Isn't lockdowm complete yet? It's driving me up the wall!"

Sajjan heaved a sigh before shifting to face him, "Lockdown is complete, Thomas. That is the sound of the Ark's defenses deploying and you should be glad to hear that noise. With our lives potentially on the line, it is good that we can protect ourselves."

Sajjan was of course, correct. The Ark was not simply designed to withstand enemy attack, but also to repel it. In the event that there was no time to allow Ravens to board their ACs, the Ark would rely on its multi-tier defense system that was hard mounted into the Ark's surface.

Comprised of many automated close range anti-aircraft cannons, CIWS anti-missile systems and medium range air to air missiles, the Ark would be able to hold off almost any assault.

At least in theory.

The defense system had never been through an actual engagement, only test runs and demonstrations. It was down to the Ark staff trained in their management to keep them safe.

A strange noise caught Elijah's attention, turning to his right, several staff members were huddled in a small group. He listened in, "Dude no you g- No back back ba- There! Is th- No that's no- That's it!"

Elijah's curiosity was peaked and he squirmed through the crowd to reach them, "Hey what ar-" Finally able to see what they were doing, he had a good guess as to why they'd had tried to conceal their actions. One of the staff held a tablet computer that looked like it had been modified with a high-power communications module, attached crudely to the back of the device. On the screen was software designed to seek out com' channels and break their encryption. It seemed like they had gained access to the communications of the admin room that was directing the defensive efforts.

Waving Tom and Sajjan over, the group listened in.

"-sive system is fully deployed, target's range, twenty five klicks and closing."

"Radar has confirmed anywhere between forty to sixty inbound targets. Grouping is making accurate measurements impossible."

"Targets confirmed as GA Model FB-89 Multi-Role Fighters!"

Even if it were GA's fighters, it didn't necessarily mean it was them attacking them at this moment, but considering the destruction of Exavil and the immediate threat to them, it seemed pointless to try debating it.

"They are inside missile range, prepare firs-"

"Missile launch detected! Multip-"

"CIWS is tracking! Fifty seven ta- No sixty one!"

"Bring main guns to bear, load airburst warheads, put up a screen betwe-"

"Missiles in CIWS range, beg-"

The room was filled with the dull roar of anti-missile guns firing, their extreme rate of fire making it sound like a buzz saw from hell, mixing in with the rumble of gunfire from the anti-aircraft cannons. The group leaned in as far as they could so they could still hear.

"CIWS effectiveness at 87%, there's too many!"

"Enemy is within gun range! Main guns switching to independent targetin-"

"Missiles made it through!"

"Everyone brace for im-"

The moment they heard this, everyone flinched as the Ark shuddered, klaxons began to sound. Elijah was still struggling to believe that this was happening. Not even an hour ago everything had been normal. Everything had been ok.

He focused back on the tablet, the only link they had to the events outside their room.

"No focus on damage control!

"The Hangar has taken damage, fires breaki-"

"Administration is under fire! Direct suppression fire to protect th-"

"Engineering reports failure in Auxiliary Power! We lose the Main Generators and we're defenseless!"

"Second wave picked up inbound! Smaller than the fi-"

"Missile pods tracking, they have lock!"

"More incoming missiles, counter fire underway!

From outside the armoured bulkhead a loud crash caused everyone to stare at the entrance like some monster was on the other side. Elijah could hear Tom muttering to himself, "I don't wanna die here, I can't die here, I didn't even get to fight."

While everyone else continued to freeze, Elijah tried his best to continue listening.

"Guns five, fourteen, nineteen and twenty four have been destroyed, defenses are holding."

"Second wave reduced to 48%."

"First wave reduced to 26%. Missile pod two has taken damage and is offline."

"CIWS turret banks three and seven are offline, interception effectiveness at 76%"

"Get repair crews to those disabled guns a-"

"Wait wait wait, confirming that enemy force is retreating! They are turning around and leaving!"

Nobody else seemed to hear it, Elijah looked around excitedly as everyone else remained like statues. "Hey! Hey guys! They're falling back! They're retreating! It's over!"

The reaction was like fire through kindling. Everyone turned around, looking at one another like they couldn't believe it. Tom and Sajjan both looked like they'd had enough of the day. In fact everyone felt like that. Not even half an hour had passed since the announcement, yet it was like someone had drained all the life out of him.

The klaxon went silent and the lights flicked from red to white once again. Everyone slowly began to unpack from the huddle at the back of the cafeteria, several still clinging to tables or one another in case the announcement was false.

The bulkhead to the Café began to slowly rise, a loud hiss of air escaping as the difference in pressure adjusted. That triggered a thought in Elijah's mind, _Wait escaping air? The area outside the cafeteria was breached?_ It wasn't a serious problem, still being inside the Ark meant that the lack of oxygen would likely never truly set in even over a large period of time. The Ark's atmospheric systems could keep the air oxygenated enough even with a breach, it wasn't like it was a vacuum outside.

The bulkhead came to a grinding halt only a third of the way open. Several Ark staff on the other side placed jacks under the door to hold it open, clearly there was something wrong with the door.

"Hey! Everyone in there ok!?" One of the staff shouted in at the crowd. Thankfully everyone was, they'd managed to come through the ordeal entirely unharmed.

Sajjan answered, "Yes thank you! We're all fine! Is it safe for us to leave?"

The staff member turned to look behind him, "Uhhhhhh, let me get back to you on that! For now, stay put and we'll get you all out in a second!"

As he left, Elijah became aware of the noise coming through the gap in the bulkhead. Shouting, metal scraping and wind. Only moments later, the smell entered as well. Everyone noticed it, the smell of burning and smoke. Without being able to properly see what was on the other side, everyone's imagination was likely running as wild as Elijah's was.

He didn't get long to ponder as the staff member who'd spoken earlier reappeared, "Ok guys! You can come on out, slowly though! Only a few at a time!"

Elijah, Tom and Sajjan made their way with the rest of the crowd to the bulkhead, waiting a few meters away as people crawled under. Elijah turned to Sajjan, "This might seem inappropriate, but I'm gonna be pissed if our place got hit."

Sajjan chuckled slightly before giving a disapproving look, "I think we should be more concerned with the ramifications of the events of today, rather than the potential situation of our quarters don't you think?"

"Yeah I know, still…" He knew Sajjan was right but the selfish thought still stuck in his mind. Soon enough it was their turn to crawl under, staff pulling them though to get everyone out as fast as possible. Once he was though, the sight was as bad as he'd feared. The large window directly opposite the Cafeteria bulkhead had a rough hole torn through it, the armoured cover had been punched though, peeled inwards.

Glass was scattered across the floor, the window that had once been there now in pieces. What was more terrifying was looking at the bulkhead they had just crawled under, the reason for its malfunction instantly clear. The distance between the hole in the armoured window and the bulkhead wasn't great, the missile that had struck them was likely designed to use a shaped charge similar to anti-tank missiles.

Using a jet of super-heated metal to boil its way through tough metal. The surface of the bulkhead was twisted and warped, pockets of molten metal had burst giving it an unpleasant texture which combined with the charred surface made it look like some terrible burn. This distorted surface prevented it from opening properly.

If the Ark hadn't been in lockdown, and that strike had taken place without forewarning, it was entirely possible that there would have been far more casualties, not to mention everyone inside the Cafeteria being killed.

As they stood, Elijah saw Ark staff wearing full body overalls, carrying bodies to be put in bags. The horrific realization washed over him, that not everyone had made it to cover. Tom looked visibly disturbed, choosing to turn around and stare at the floor.

Sajjan walked up to a staff member who appeared be directing the repair effort in their area, "Is there anything we can do to help?" He had to half shout over the background noise. The staff member looked like she was going to snap at him but reconsidered when she actually paid attention to who was speaking to her. The advantage of looking different was people recognised you.

"Uhhh, no, no there's nothing really here that we can't handle, probably best if everyone who isn't injured to head back to their quarters. There's enough of us to deal with this, thanks." Sajjan nodded and thanked her before walking back to Elijah and Thomas.

"We should probably head back before we end up in the way of them." It didn't feel right to leave but at the end of the day, they had been asked to leave.

"Come on man, let's get outta here" Tom patted him on the shoulder as he passed.

The walk back was silent, aside from having to pass through a handful of still active bulkheads due to breaches it was uninterrupted.

The moment they passed through the door to their quarters, Tom said, "Uh, guys? Do… Do you mind if I use your shower?" He held up his arm to the both of them. Apparently without any of the three of them noticing during the attack, someone had been sick on Tom's arm.

Elijah's face twisted, "Ohhhh that's not nice, yeah sure man go for it, should be some tracksuits in there or something to change into."

"Thanks man, I won't be long." Tom disappeared through a side door while Sajjan walked ahead.

"I think we can certainly say that today will not be a day the world remembers fondly." Sajjan sighed as he settled onto a sofa, "I wish I could understand why GA would do this."

As Elijah dropped into an armchair he said, "Come on man, you know why. They said so themselves! It's a grab for power."

"I guess that's something I don't understand myself, this burning desire GA has to control. It doesn't seem right."

Elijah could understand in some ways, a desire for power wasn't entirely alien to him but GA had picked the absolutely reprehensible way of going about it. "It's not wrong to want to better yourself b-"

"Oh no of course I kn-"

"No no I mean, I get where you're coming from but I think what's wrong more is how GA has gone about it, right?"

Sajjan was silent.

"Like, it isn't wrong to shake things up, for things to change, that's fine, that's normal. What's wrong is the fact that they've not only threatened the lives of nearly everyone that doesn't stand behind them, but they've already killed hundreds if not thousands of people to do it. Now that is wrong."

"Was GA's position really that bad? Was it so bad it kindled this fire? That it drove them to war?"

Elijah had to think for a second, "Perhaps not GA as a whole, I think… I think looking at it from the perspective of the higher ups in their administration could have been tired of the belittling behavior of the other Corporations, but that still seems like a shitty cause for war. Like, 'This guy laughed at me so I'm going to _raze his home and murder his family'_ doesn't quite cut it."

Shifting on the sofa, Sajjan answered, "So we should be attributing these actions and beliefs to the few at the top of GA?"

"Yeah pretty much. I seriously doubt that the vast majority of GA's workforce sees any of what they're talking about as they don't really come into contact with the other Corporations. It's the Executives and Division Leaders that have to actually speak at that level."

Elijah grabbed a bottle of water that had been left by the chair and took a long drink while Sajjan spoke, "If that is the case, then that truly is sad. So many will be blamed and condemned while it's likely those responsible will carry on with little care."

"Oh I'm sure they care," said Elijah now setting the bottle between himself and the inside of the armchair, "This is a hell of a risk for them, I mean, we've been under the Pax Economica for years now and this is the first time things have really changed. I mean, Exavil being destroyed? A direct attack on us? An actual declaration of open war? Things aren't gonna be the same for a long time."

That seemed to trigger a thought in Sajjan, "Speaking of Exavil's fall do we know the ramifications of that to Rayleonard? I mean their Headquarters is rubble, their CEO dead, hundreds of staff killed. They can only pin the blame on GA but where does that leave all their workers?"

Elijah stared at the ceiling. It was a good question, Rayleonard was likely going belly up after this and it was likely everyone under their protection would be poached en mass by the other Corporations. Considering Rayleonard's status as the leading Corporation would leave a power vacuum that would result in a lot of messy conflicts.

"Dude I have no idea, trying to rap my head around the idea of Rayleonard no existing blows my mind."

"Tell me about it…"

It took Elijah a moment to realise, "Shit your Mom, what's she gonna do if the Corporation goes under?"

The look on Sajjan's face didn't fill Elijah with hope, "To use your own words, I have no idea. I am eternally grateful that she is alive and well but I am concerned that if she loses her job then…" He trailed off, unmoving.

"I'm sure she'll easily find another position in a different Corporation, it's not like Leonemeccanica or Rosenthal are gonna let an opportunity like this get away from them."

"I suppose." This apparently did little to improve his mood.

At this point, Thomas exited the bathroom wearing grey tracksuits and a towel around his neck, "Ok I feel a million times better. What's goin' on here?"

Sajjan shuffled up the sofa into a more half-slouched position while Tom sat on the end, "We were trying to piece together why GA did all of this and the consequences of it."

Tom gave a bitter laugh, "Ha! Well the consequences are simple! Everything is fucked! As for the reasons? Global Armaments are the biggest pieces of shit on the planet! How's that?"

Sajjan frowned, "I understand you're upset but I'd like to believe the situation is slightly more nuanced than that."

Elijah could tell Tom was on edge, he wasn't used to this and Elijah certainly wasn't either. Three years instead of one helped but it wasn't the same. Sajjan on the other hand was the calmest of the three, having roughly eight years as a Raven under his belt meant that none of this was shocking to him.

Sajjan had fought in wars that Elijah had only heard about on corporate broadcasts when he was still considered a child. It was likely that he'd become somewhat desensitized to the stress and pressure that came with having your life threatened on a nearly daily basis.

Tom waved his arm at Sajjan dismissively, "Nuance my ass, GA are beyond jackasses, how many people are dead because of them?!"

Sighing, Elijah realized that he was just going over exactly what they'd discussed already. "We get that, but we can't blame _all_ of GA, this was likely planned out by the few at the top and everyone and below just had to deal with it."

"So do we just assume that everyone below them agrees? Or do they hate it? What? We don't know that do we? Were the people flying those fighters that attacked us willing? Did they want to attack?"

Both Elijah and Sajjan were silent. It was a common mistake to assume those you were fighting believed in what they were fighting for. It was the twisting in his gut that Elijah didn't like, the guilt for making that assumption and never questioning it.

Sajjan spoke up, "Do we have the luxury of hesitation when our lives are on the line? I understand what you're saying Thomas, but as much as they may or may not want to fight us, they are still out to kill us for better or worse."

Hearing such blunt truth from Sajjan was uncommon at best, he usually wasn't one for it. It was almost scarier coming from someone like him. Someone who'd only shown care and consideration for others.

"Sajjan is th-" Elijah was about to speak when his phone buzzed. At the same time Sajjan fished his phone out of his pocket.

"Did… Did you get this too?" He looked at Sajjan who answered without looking up from his phone.

"I believe so, give me a few seconds to get changed."

Tom's head flicked between the two of them, "Yo, someone gonna tell me what's up?" Sajjan spoke before Elijah got the chance.

"Elijah and I have been summoned to speak with Governor Archambault, we were instructed to arrive in our jumpsuits."

Tom reclined in the seat kicking his feet up on the low table, electing a glare from Sajjan, "Oh well don't let me stop you two VIPs."

The trip up to the Administration level was painful, the pair had to pass through several sections of the Ark that were still attempting repair and recovery work. Many of the injured were still getting basic care in walkways while the Medical Bay was overwhelmed.

Thankfully the majority of the breaches had been sealed, although more permanent repairs would require replacement of both the armoured shuttering and the windows themselves.

The elevator that they were currently riding in had no windows meaning they were unable to see the exterior of the Ark. Part of him was grateful.

Sajjan speaking derailed his train of thought, "You seem nervous, not taken many trips up here?"

Elijah looked away trying to appear collected despite Sajjan being right on the mark, although the current situation they were in likely influenced it as well. "Perhaps not as many as you."

"Just how many times do you think I've been up here?" Elijah folded his arms, glowering at Sajjan for the comment.

"I gee I do wonder? You're on speaking terms with Leonhardt it's not unrealistic to assume that you know the Governor to some degree?"

The grin on Sajjan's face set off warning bells in his head. "Oh I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

With that, the door in front of them opened, leading into a carpeted reception area with a large curved desk on the back wall. Two exits leading down corridors on each side flanked the desk which had a young man in a suit sitting at a computer.

As they approached him, he looked up at the two of them, "Can I help you…" He suddenly realized they what they were wearing and turned back to his computer. "The Governor is waiting for you in his office."

He was silent while Sajjan gave a smile and slight bow before turning right, Elijah in tow. Only moments later they passed through a handful of corridors with multiple doors before they approached a large pair of carved wooden doors. It seemed somewhat unnecessary but the Ravens didn't build the Ark, the Corporations did, they just assumed this was normal for someone in a powerful position.

A man in a suit stood to one side, opening the door for them and gesturing for the pair to enter.

They stepped into a room with a deep red carpet and wooden paneling across each wall excluding the one opposite the door. The wall they faced was similar to their own quarter's exterior wall, a single uninterrupted wall of glass, following the same curve as the Ark's exterior and framed by large patterned curtains. To their left was a very large table that looked like it could have seated at least fifteen people, while the right hand side was almost entirely dominated by a glass fronted cabernet filled with framed photographs. The entire room had a perverse feeling of wealth and power that wasn't particularly comforting.

Sunlight flooded in from the clear sky, marred only by a faint column of black smoke. The light silhouetted the figure who sat behind an expensive looking desk made from a polished wood. The desk was relatively sparse and free of clutter. Only a computer, small binder and a desk lamp adorned it.

The man who sat at this desk stood and strode towards them. While he was only fractionally taller than the two of them, his large frame and three piece suit gave him an imposing atmosphere. Elijah's nervousness wasn't helped by this, along with the fact that he had only spoken to the Governor briefly in the past and for only moments at a time, never on a personal basis like this.

Sajjan on the other hand, apparently had zero qualms with matching the Governors pace and outstretching his hand, "Good Afternoon Governor, I hope today's events haven't ruined your day too much?" The weak smile on Sajjan's face told Elijah this was an obviously thin attempt at humour.

The Governor took Sajjan's hand and shook it, wearing an equally tired smile. "Oh you have no idea, calling today a catastrophe wouldn't be doing it justice." He looked at the both of them while chairs were pulled up in front of his desk, "Please, come take a seat, I will explain why the both of you have been called here."

The nervousness that had previously been occupying his thoughts dissipated as the Governor's calm and peasant demeanor replaced the previous mental image he had of the head of the Ravens.

Sajjan didn't look back at Elijah as he walked forward, leaving him with little option but to follow and take a seat.

The Governor sat opposite them and pulled himself forwards, resting his elbows on the desk and rubbing his faces. His dark skin was beginning to show wrinkles and grey speckles were scattered through a thin beard. The strain of leading the Ravens was beginning to show, he had been their Governor since their declaration of independence. Today was likely taking its toll on him.

Sitting up straight he spoke, "I must apologise to the both of you for the sudden call here, but considering the state we're in things are having to be done at an accelerated pace, I'm sure you understand."

"Of course Sir, I-" The Governor waved his hand dismissively.

"Please Sajjan, you know I hate being called Sir, looking in the mirror every morning reminds me of how old I am. That goes for you too Elijah, my name is Desmond and I would be happy if you did a better job of remembering that than your friend here, hm?"

He through a wry grin at Sajjan who answered with his own.

This was surreal. Just how many people at the top of the Raven's ranks was Sajjan familiar with? He'd known him for years but these connections had never been brought up before.

Elijah realized he hadn't actually answered yet, "Uh, of course! I'll do my best… Desmond."

Something about saying that felt inherently wrong but he shoved the feeling aside.

"Now, as I'm sure you're aware we are now at war with the Corporation Global Armaments, I won't say this came out of the blue but we weren't expecting action this soon."

Elijah did a double take at that, "Wait I'm sorry it _didn't_ come out of the blue? You knew this was going to happen?"

Sajjan glanced between the two of them, apparently interested in an answer.

"We… We didn't know for sure but, there had been a lot of suspicious activity regarding GA. Large numbers of transporters moving between a very remote location and one of their main resource processing facilities where they turn raw minerals, chemicals into parts and pieces typically used in their products."

Sajjan spoke up now, "How long had you been watching them this closely?

Desmond lent back in his seat, "We began observations on them roughly six months ago but we don't know how long this had been going on beforehand." Sajjan nodded and crossed his arms. "Roughly three weeks ago, the transport shipments stopped, we weren't actually able to see where those transporters were going but we have a location at the very least and that's where you two come in."

This was the part Elijah was truly interested in, where they found out what they were meant to be doing.

Leaning in across the table Desmond spoke while Elijah and Sajjan also pulled themselves forward, "I won't lie, the Ark took some real hits today and it'll be weeks or longer before we are back in perfect condition. The AC Garage was hit today and while almost all of the ACs stored there are safe, only a small fraction can be safely deployed including those that never made it to storage."

Elijah had an idea of why they had been picked now. "Not only are we technically down most of our ACs, but several of the injured were Ravens meaning we're also down on pilots. The intersection of unharmed or present Ravens and available ACs leaves you two as the highest ranked Ravens able to deploy at this very moment."

Deflated somewhat, Elijah sat back. So that was it, they hadn't been picked for any special reason, only that they were able to go. "When I say this very moment, I mean literally in the next thirty minutes the both of you are going to be enroute to this unknown location. Your mission objective is to investigate this location and report back with your findings. I hate to use you as glorified investigators but I know that Ravens are adaptable and I fear you may have to adapt to whatever you find there."

Sajjan spoke before Elijah had even put together a response, "Do we suspect that the attacking force came from this location?"

"No we have no reason to suspect that it did but it's entirely possible, it's a question you'll be able to answer after you've had the time to look around."

Sajjan accepted this nodding and shifted in his seat, "Are there any other investigatory efforts underway at this time?"

"Yes, obviously as well as ourselves there was the attack on Exavil which leaves many questions as to how exactly that happened. Considering it was an attack on Rayleonard, it seemed only reasonable that their contracted Raven should investigate."

Elijah's attention was all on Desmond now as he realized who he was talking about, having only faced him earlier that day. "Although I say _their_ contracted Raven, at this time the Raven Berlioz is no longer signed on with Rayleonard and his contract has been transferred to us, so technically it was actually myself who gave him this mission on behalf of Rayleonard."

"Was Supplice able to be moved from the AC Garage?" Sajjan asked.

"No that wasn't needed, Berlioz was delayed returning from a mission and never made it back to the Ark to land, his transporter arrived just as the attacking force fled. He's currently orbiting the Ark while we finalize the details in his contract and issue the mission to his Operator."

Elijah spoke up this time, "Thinking about it, it's barely been hours since the attack, surely transferring a contract like Berlioz's should take some time?"

Heaving a sigh, Desmond replied, "Typically you'd be right. There is a lot of red tape and legislation that has to be completed before something like this would normally happen. However these are not normal times and Rayleonard is not in a normal position. I spoke with their Vice-President directly after the attack, they had already begun liquidation of their assets, which included Berlioz."

An uncommon frown worked its way onto Sajjan's face, "I do hope this doesn't mean you did what I think you did?"

"Unfortunately Sajjan it does, to bypass the process of transferring a personal contract of ownership, Berlioz's rights as a person were taken from him. He is no longer legally considered a person, but is now technically property. Rayleonard performed this and then sold him to us."

Elijah's jaw would have dropped if he didn't feel so sick. Leonhardt had gone to great lengths to stress how even someone like Berlioz was still human, still able to feel and think. That he wasn't the weapon that everyone believed he was.

Rayleonard had done just that. They made the myth real.

Sajjan stood abruptly, shocking Elijah out of his daze. "Thank you for your time Desmond, if that is all myself and Elijah will head to the Hangar and prepare to leave.

"Of course, I wish you all the best and I hope you find some answers out there. Good luck Ravens."

With that, Elijah slowly stood and followed Sajjan.

"One more thing." Said Desmond as they stopped to face him, "It's important you know this now and not later but, I'm sure you realize that even with their panic selling of their stock and assets, Rayleonard will not recover from this. As a Corporation they are finished, the Vice-President said it himself. They've lost too many backers and sponsors to sustain themselves. Rayleonard was defunct the moment Exavil fell and Victor died."

Sajjan didn't answer, but turned and continued to leave. This was entirely unlike him, Elijah had never seen him worked up like this. It wasn't until they entered the elevator again that he had the courage to speak.

"Yo, dude what's up?"

"It's… They have no idea what they've done. Of all the people they could have done this to, they chose him?" Even while trying to keep his calm, Sajjan looked genuinely distressed and upset. "A man who has had nothing for so long and fought for nothing but to… And they go and do this?"

Elijah wanted to say something but the words just weren't there, he was totally unable to reply. "It's disgusting, it's foul and inhuman, I always thought Rayleonard were on the less reputable side but this? Their final act as a Corporation is to take the very last things he has? When they spent so long taking from him already? I can't stand it!"

Silence followed as Elijah stood beside his friend, unable to help. He dearly hoped things got better from here.


	7. What Do You Go Home To?

For the third time, the call rang to an automated answer system. Berlioz closed his phone, leaning his forehead against the transporter window, keeping his eyes closed, not wanting to see anymore smoke rising from the Ark. There had been delays getting them back, meaning he had watched the GA broadcast while returning. He felt, wrong. Watching Exavil fall hadn't been nearly as harrowing to him as it had to Fiona who he'd been speaking to while the broadcast was on. He'd only started panicking when she told him that they were being attacked and had to leave the operations room. Had it been possible, Berlioz would have blown the back of the transporter out if using Supplice had been an option, but even he knew that at this distance, Supplice couldn't carry itself far enough. He would have fallen out of the sky before he even got half way, convincing the pilot to fly closer wasn't an option either, any closer and they risked drawing the attention of the flights attacking the Ark.

The best he could do was sit, wait and watch. Instead of dwelling on the attack only a few kilometers away from him, he thought about what this would mean for him. Exavil's destruction would be catastrophic for Rayleonard. It was likely that Victor Rayleonard was inside the building at the time, probably buried in the rubble if not killed in the initial explosion. If that were true, then losing both their CEO and their Headquarters in the same attack would cause faith in the Corporation to plummet, stock value would crash and their investors would likely pull the plug. The end of Rayleonard would not be graceful or memorable. It was short, brutal and over in minutes. What was once effectively the greatest power in the world was reduced to trash priced bonds and trademarked technology.

With it being less a question of if Rayleonard fell and more when, Berlioz knew his contract with them would likely default to the Raven's Ark. He wasn't going to lie, finally being free of Rayleonard was something he'd wanted for a long time now.

The phone in his hand vibrated, not even checking to see the caller ID, he answered, "Berlioz here."

"Berlioz! Where are you?" He recognised Fiona's voice.

"Fiona, I'm fine, orbiting the Ark in a transporter. Where are you, are you alright?"

"Yeah they pulled us out of the Operation's Room before the attack arrived, we were too close to the Ark's exterior. The Governor has already spoken to me regarding your situation with Rayleonard, he's already talked it over with the Vice President of the Corporation, your contract has been transferred to the Ark, you are no longer tied to Rayleonard."

Berlioz breathed a small sigh of relief, but as much as he was relieved, guilt chewed away at his insides. Hundreds, if not a thousand or more people died to secure his freedom. It wasn't something he was going to take for granted.

"The Governor knows you wanted out of being a Raven, but you know there's still work to be done. The Ravens are now at war with GA, you're to go to the Exavil wreckage, investigate what destroyed the building. Then report back with your findings."

The frame of Berlioz's phone creaked as his grip tightened, "I'm not liking what I'm hearing, because what I'm hearing sounds a lot like orders."

There was a pause, then Fiona continued, "I hate to say it Berlioz but whatever took out Exavil could be a serious threat. The Governor is right to send you out as you're the best asset the Ark has so suck it the fuck up. You can get pissed with me when you get back but for now do your goddamn job." The line went dead. _Best asset huh? Nothing fucking changes._ Slipping the phone back into one of his jumpsuit pockets he walked towards the gantry. _I don't remember the last time I was a person, not a weapon._ Reaching the highest point, he walked a short ways across to a small control panel, punching a code into the number pad. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, why would anything be different now?

In front of him, mounted in the transporter gantry stood his AC, Supplice. The head of which was now lifted away from the core, exposing the cockpit beneath it. Taking a short step off the gantry walkway, he landed on top of the AC walking to the opening and sliding inside, the head lowering back down, sealing him inside. In the pitch black, Berlioz took a moment to calm himself. _Someday, I'll never have to sit in you again._ It was impossible to tell if his eyes were open or shut, but his familiarity with the cockpit meant he knew exactly where he needed to reach to begin the start sequence. In moments, the auxiliary power flowed in from the transporter, filling the dark space with a dim glow as the display backlights came to life. Shifting down in his seat till he was in a rough slouch, he closed his eyes, taking advantage of the long journey for a few more hours sleep.

#####

The sleep came in fits and spurts like it always did. Berlioz had come to hate sleep, the way it toyed with him, giving him moments of respite and then tormenting him with drawn out replays of his past, the last few months had been particularly harsh. Three or at best four hours of broken rest were the best he could achieve. Enough to function, enough to survive, but not enough to feel entirely human. The com channel blinked at him, he accepted it and shifted in his seat, trying to stretch in the small space.

"Ninebreaker, we're fifteen minutes away, please be ready for the drop." The channel went dead. Berlioz slowly sat up, reaching over to the right. In moments, the high pitched whine of the generator filled the cockpit. He was glad that for the first time in a long while, this was a mission where he wasn't expecting to kill anyone.

A thought crossed his mind, and he reopened the com channel while Supplice ran across the board tests, "Pilot, what is the drop distance for this operation?"

"Uhhh drop is at 1km from target area." Berlioz frowned, clearly the Ark believed the threat to have passed, allowing for an extremely close insertion. He didn't like it, being dropped in that close meant potentially missing something further out.

"Pilot, I'm overriding that, drop will be at 6km from mission area, I will close from there under my own power." There was a delay between Berlioz speaking and the pilot's reply, he assumed that the pilot was talking it over with his co-pilot. It wasn't common for Ravens to go against mission parameters while outside of a mission area, but one advantage of being the Ninebreaker was that rules were frequently flexed for him.

"If you're sure then... Mission parameters have changed, drop is in four minutes at 6km outside mission area." Berlioz closed the channel, the likelihood of someone complaining was unlikely, it wasn't exa-

"Berlioz, care to explain why I just received a new set of mission parameters?" Mentally groaning, he replied "Because I don't want to drop feet first into what could potentially be a trap. Dropping from further away means I have a chance to react should I run into anything down there." Of course Fiona would take the opportunity to pick at something.

She snapped back, "Berlioz, the parameters that are set in place by the contractor are there for a reason, it's not on you to make those kinds of call!"

"Are you done?" Berlioz knew for a fact this was simple procedure, she knew him well enough that if she didn't at least give the impression she was reprimanding him for his blatant disregard for the set order, then there would be higher powers to answer.

"Yeah I'm good, everything looks fine on my end so you can prepare for the drop." Fiona's tone had changed to what he normally expected, relaxed and focused.

"Confirming mission objective, investigate Exavil ruins for evidence of the method of attack and report back with my findings" Berlioz parroted the mission briefing in front of him.

"Mission objective confirmed, please report on touchdown." The line went dead but was immediately opened again.

"Ninebreaker, we are now inside drop range, you are cleared to drop." The pilot closed the line immediately afterwards and Berlioz disconnected the gantry power line, allowing Supplice to run entirely off its own generator. The slight shaking that began indicated the gantry moving him to the now open hatch at the rear. In seconds, the wide open forests of the former Canadian North West rushed along in a haze of vibrant green. It hadn't been long since he was last able to see it, but he had been here for a very different reason.

Being Rayleonard's Ace, the CEO, Victor Rayleonard, took great pleasure in showing him off to the higher ups of other Corporations during formal events and conferences. Like a pedigree show dog being displayed to the adoring masses. The shiny glazed look in their eyes, almost salivating over him, every single time it made him want to throw up. From the moment Rayleonard had dug its claws into him, they had desperately fought to keep him, pushing for a contract extension on three separate occasions.

Had he realised the reason behind the test pilot program they started nearly eight years ago was to produce a Raven of unparalleled skill for their own personal use, he would never have signed up. It wasn't his dream to be the best. It wasn't his dream to stand above other Ravens. It was never his dream. It was always theirs. Before Rayleonard even achieved the position of leading Corporation, the second that power was remotely in their grasp, they blindly reached for it with no regard for the cost. Whatever he had believed in before, they had stamped it out of him, replacing it with their perfect vision of the world. But to Berlioz, the enormous forest spread out below him, was pretty perfect the way it was. He released the gantry clasps, Supplice idly leaning forwards until it toppled out the back.

Falling was strange. Those seconds of weightlessness, it wasn't something he ever really got used to, it was always unnerving. But after those few seconds, Supplice self righted, it's boosters burning a clean, pale orange hue. Berlioz kept an eye on the rapidly dropping altimeter all the while keeping Supplice the correct way up, making minor adjustments to the throttle. Allowing Supplice to drift forwards while dropping, Berlioz aimed for a clearing just outside a forest to his south.

Flaring the boosters hard in the last hundred meters, Supplice touched down lightly, it's feet sinking slightly into the earth. "Fiona, I've touched down, confirm mission start, Supplice switching to combat mode." The HUD adapted to the change, with previous core elements moving to secondary monitors and new ones taking their place.

"Mission start confirmed, you are free to proceed Berlioz." Supplice sunk down, it's knees bending, before Berlioz pushed the boosters to 100% and kicked off the ground. It wasn't exactly the most efficient method of travel but the forests prevented him from moving via the ground. Also traveling via the air meant he would be able to spot potential targets from some distance away. With the still clear column of smoke ahead, Berlioz kept his altitude relatively low. If absolutely necessary, he could drop into the tree line to avoid enemy fire.

However, the few kilometers between the drop and the edge of the Great Slave Lake were uninterrupted, Berlioz dropped the boosters and settled on the shore of the massive lake. In the centre, Rayleonard had built an artificial island on which Exavil, their Headquarters stood. The building was shaped like a cone that had been cut in half and leant several degrees inwards, giving the impression it was pointing towards some far off object in space. Twin rows of support beams held the highest points up, preventing it from toppling over. However, where Exavil once stood, there was a pile of rubble, twisted metal and glass, still smoldering even hours after its destruction. Small fires could be seen burning and black smoke continued to rise into the sky like a beacon. A black pillar to show that the mightiest had already fallen.

Berlioz couldn't get a good look from the coast, but was weary to go closer, "Fiona, has there been any movement in the rubble? Any signs of survivors?" His reason for asking was twofold, searching for survivors with an AC was awkward and calling in a support team would be a far better option. The other reason was for his own protection.

"No, the drone the Ark sent earlier detected no signs of life, it can be assumed that everyone died in the building's collapse. You're far enough away from population centers, you're permitted to engage your Primal Armour." Turning to his right, there was a system panel that was not standard issue in an 03-AALIYAH frame. Flicking a pair of switches on it, another small display filled with information next to the main monitor. The increasing humming behind him confirmed that nothing was out of the ordinary.

Primal Armour. Rayleonard's greatest ace up their sleeve. Developed in absolute secrecy by their AkvaVit division, a small group of their top engineers and scientists working on prototypes that could help them stay in power. Primal Armour used particles, referred to as Kojima Particles by their discoverer Dr. Gen Kojima, were the byproduct of a malfunctioning prototype generator. After multiple experiments, it was found that these particles could be molded using special rectifiers to shape the particles into various forms. What was found, was that when molded, the particles behaved like a non-Newtonian fluid. It was perfectly fine for objects to pass through the particle field with no resistance at slow speeds, but once accelerated to high speeds, the particles reacted violently, forming a nigh unbreakable wall. Once this was understood, the technology was quickly pushed to the front of R&D by Rayleonard and adapted to create a shield. The Kojima Particle system was attached to a generator and fitted to a modified 03-AAYLIAH frame.

However, the Kojima Particles came at an unforeseen cost. Only weeks after the initial discovery of the Kojima Particles, Dr. Gen Kojima and the entire research staff who had worked with her fell critically ill, displaying accelerated symptoms of radiation poisoning. Within days, all those affected died, their lab sealed to contain the particles. Rayleonard took over the project, unwilling to allow such a valuable piece of technology be discarded for being 'too risky'.

When Berlioz was selected as the top pilot at the end of their test program and 'persuaded' to sign on with Rayleonard, they presented him with the customised AAYLIAH frame, equipped with the Primal Armour System. In weeks, the new AC and it's powerful shield allowed his already high average success rate in missions to climb to 100%. In a month, he challenged and defeated the then Ninebreaker Wynne D. Fanchon, a Leonemeccanica signed Raven. Fanchon, desperate to hold the highest position in the Ark, refused to stand down even when clearly beaten. She fought to the death, dying at the hands of Berlioz in single combat.

The toxic and polluting nature of Kojima Particles, Berlioz made a note of only using it in areas away from population centers, to try and keep the risk of harming civilians by accident. But here, literally in the middle of nowhere, it was perfectly acceptable. The humming had reached an extremely high pitched whine before becoming completely inaudible. It was then that he knew it was ready, twisting a dial on the control panel. Several of the fin banks integrated into Supplice's frame shifted slightly, and a haze not unlike the one given off by extremely hot objects emanated out. Kojima Particles in low density concentrations were virtually invisible, when charged and struck by a high speed object, they flashed a dirty yellow or amber mix, arcs of electricity would cascade from the point of impact, rolling across the particle field, often striking the ground. Once the air around Supplice was saturated to a suitable level, Berlioz pulled a small lever on the control panel. The effect was immediate. The air around Supplice crackled for several seconds before settling down. Like this it was nearly impossible to tell the field was active unless you paid attention to the slight shimmering around the edges of objects inside or behind the field's area of effect, like tree branches or the grass and dirt at his feet.

The channel between him and Fiona was technically open at all times, which was uncommon as most Ravens and Operators equally preferred the channel only to be active when absolutely necessary. Berlioz had altered his com system to only effectively minimize the channel display, rather than actually shutting the channel down. It had taken some serious manipulation on his and the hangar engineers part to work this system so two channels could be open simultaneously.

"Fiona, I'm gonna move in for a closer look, give me a heads up if you spot something before I do." She laughed at him, but the joke was clearly lost on him.

"The likelihood of me seeing something before you when all I've got are grainy drone feeds and your sensor data is pretty low, just use your damn eyes and I'm sure you'll be fine" With a wry grin, he throttled Supplice up, sliding down the short bank onto the lake. ACs were able to slid along the surface of water just like they did on land as they were able to adapt their thruster power and angle to provide the necessary lift to prevent themselves from sinking. It was less sliding over the surface and more hovering ever so slightly. The result was the same as Supplice flew across the lake towards the smoldering wreckage ahead.

Supplice transitioned smoothly from the water to the artificial embankment and travelled the short distance up to the edge of where Exavil stood in only seconds. As much as he had despised Rayleonard, he had always admired Exavil as a building. Calling it different wouldn't do it justice, it was flat out strange. Or at least, it had been. The wonderful building that Berlioz had come to enjoy seeing was little more than a pile of rubble, glass and metal. He took a few steps forwards until he was in front of a particularly large segment of concrete, using the end of his left hand rifle, he lifted it high enough that he could see what was underneath.

He was silent and motionless long enough for Fiona to speak, "Hey, what are you looking at? The feed's too dark for me to make it out. Berlioz?"

Lowering the concrete, he turned Supplice to the right and began walking around the edge of the destroyed building. "It was nothing, I'm gonna move around the other side and see if there's anything there." She didn't say anything in return, but he knew that she would be going over the footage later on, maybe he'd give her a heads up to not look too closely.

On a side monitor, he brought up the footage from GA's broadcast, specifically the feed that showed Exavil's destruction. While he flicked his eyes from the main monitor, to the one showing the footage, he slowly played the video back, frame by frame over and over, trying to work out exactly what happened. Three blasts on the right hand side of the structure came first, then immediately two more blasts to the support structure that held the pillars. Finally a sixth blast was in the water, only a little away from the island. Supplice came to a standstill on the right side of the island, where the blasts had been seen. He had seen enough combat to recognise certain things, like the final blast, the one that hit the water, it was different to the rest. The fact it hit water, not metal or earth gave away an important fact, the spray of water was clearly directed, implying that it wasn't simply an explosion, it was an impact. Something landed there and it was highly likely that the other explosions were also the results of something hitting Exavil. _A projectile of somekind? But that blast, if it was kinetic force alone it would have just punched a hole right through, there's clearly an explosion. But what kind of shell could cause a blast that large?_

"You look like you've got something, speak up" Fiona was on point as usual.

"I think the explosions were caused by a projectile, perhaps a shell, but I'm struggling to think of a weapon system that could do something like this." He stared at the blast from the shell that hit water. Throwing Supplice backwards, he slid out onto the water, positioning himself where his view lined up with that of the footage. The direction the water sprayed and where he was standing now fit. Whatever it was, it came from roughly the North West.

"You think, a projectile did this? Yeah I'm with you on the confused side. I don't know of anything that could do this, perhaps something that was developed just for this? That was never announced?" The fact that Fiona couldn't think of anything wasn't too troublesome considering he was equally stumped.

Supplice slid back to the island, riding up the bank to the edge of the rubble again. "I'm gonn-" He stopped. His gaze locked on an enormous splash around a thousand meters away. A second one, this time not even half the distance from him. Fiona didn't need to even start shouting a warning. Berlioz was already in motion, throwing Supplice backwards at full thrust, dumping power into the reverse thrusters flaring them at twice their rated level. Even protected inside the AC, the blast rocked him hard enough that the straps cut into his chest and shoulders. His main feed was obscured for a split second as the PA field became opaque from diverting the blast away from Supplice. Where he was once standing was a several meter wide crater, rubble scattered by the blast. He had next to no warning for the incoming fire, had the first blast been a direct hit it's unlikely either his PA field or the comparatively weaker armour of Supplice would have survived.

Primal Armour was strong, no doubt, it gave an AC frame like the 03-AALIYAH a level of durability that would be impossible without. But it certainly wasn't invulnerable, every hit that the PA had to take, would erode away at the field. Kojima Particles that reacted would become inert and breakdown into harmless base elements. Under heavy fire, the level of Kojima Particles able to maintain a formed and cohesive PA field would drop too low and the field would destabilize and would need to be rebuilt. A side monitor dedicated to monitoring the flow of Kojima Particles to the field as well as the field itself showed that taking just the edge of that blast had pushed his PA almost to the breaking point. There was a max rate that the field could be supplied with particles, it was a simple case that when the rate of erosion surpassed the rate of supply that the field began to wear away.

It would be several minutes before the field would be at full strength, he couldn't afford even a near miss like that again. He pushed Supplice forward, riding the edge between the island and the water, trying to make the nine meter AC a more difficult to hit target. "Fiona! Do you have eyes on the target?" The sooner he found out what exactly was trying to kill him, the sooner he could leave. He wasn't going to screw around today.

Fiona quickly came back to him saying, "No, I have no idea what it was. There was no weapon fire alert within a ten kilometer radius of the drone I am however picking up a large signal on the long range radar to your North West."

He frowned, _Nothing inside ten kilometers? Seriously? That means indirect fire from... somewhere._ He looked up, the Leonemeccanica made drone that Fiona was using to monitor the mission area usually operated at around 2 kilometers above sea level, it could go higher but being a typical aircraft design, it needed time to climb. Unlike an AC. It wasn't exactly an intended design feature, but particular ACs could gain altitude extremely fast, Supplice was one of them. "Our objective at the end of the day was recon right? So let's get some fucking information and get out of here!" Berlioz jettisoned the grenade launcher on his back and dropped both rifles. Keeping his weight down would mean less to haul up.

Angling Supplice's boosters almost straight down, he maxed the throttle, lifting Supplice into the air in a single motion. Watching the altimeter climb, pushing his AC's output this high meant he'd eventually have to come back down as sustained high speed flight was outside the perimeters of Supplice's design. If he didn't burn out his boosters, he'd drain the generator's capacitors and run out of usable energy. Passing two kilometers, he faced towards the North West. Continuing to climb, he squinted at the main monitor, but there wasn't nearly enough detail to make anything out. He flew by three kilometers, now zooming the main view in to try and pick the target out. A warning flashed up, indicating a booster temperature warning. In the very far distance, around forty five kilometers away, was what looked like a bizarre blur on the horizon. Having spotted it, he quickly locked the camera onto that region and pushed the zoom as far as it would go, cleaning the image as must as he could with the limited image manipulation available onboard Supplice.

Taking a slew of images without taking the time to look at them, he killed Supplice's throttle before the boosters blew out. The AC dropped like a stone, that horrid falling feeling taking a hold of his gut. Orientating Supplice upright he touched down and spun on the spot, ready to head away from the Exavil ruin. "Fiona? I got some shots of the target I'- ACK" He didn't get to finish his sentence, it was like being shot by ten grenade launchers and a thunderbolt all at the same time. His senses were scrambled as everything went spinning, his ears ringing, his head pounding. All the monitors flickered and some came loose, flailing about on broken mountings. Supplice came to an abrupt halt, Berlioz didn't move, taking the time to try and work out exactly what happened. The most logical conclusion was that he was clipped by another one of those explosions, it couldn't have been a direct hit as he was still alive. As his ears began to filter out individual sounds from the ringing, he could hear Fiona shouting at him, which was perfectly understandable considering the state Supplice was likely in.

"Berlioz?! Berlioz are you there!? Please!" He probably would have grinned at her lack of her usual demeanor if he wasn't genuinely in excruciating pain.

"Yeah I'm still he- still here don't fret just yet." He hissed out through gritted teeth. Most of the monitors had remained operational, meaning he had awareness of his situation, but the blood streaming down the left hand side of his head made it somewhat difficult to see. He couldn't see anything on the main monitor, that combined with the fact he felt like he was falling out of his seat meant Supplice was likely face down in the dirt, or worse, the lake. AC cockpits were watertight only to prevent the pilot drowning in the event the AC fell into the water without a way of getting out.

Taking hold of the controls, he pushed Supplice to its feet, made easier that he had hands free to do this with, rather than rifles. Peeking to his left at the PA monitor, he saw as he expected, that the field had completely collapsed, however what was more concerning was that the Kojima extension on his generator had failed, meaning it was no longer producing particles to restore his PA. With his primary advantage clearly overpowered, retreat was a suitable option.

"Are you able to get out from there?" Fiona having somewhat regained her composure.

"Yeah should be fine, I'm calling it, recon complete, declaring mission success, moving t- to evac point. S-supplice switching to Normal Mode." Not wanting to give the unknown target another opportunity to kill him, he pushed Supplice forwards, lighting its boosters and sailing into the air back to where he was dropped earlier.

"Understood, the transporter will be orbiting at original drop location." The channel closed and Berlioz let out a strained sigh. Looking down at his jumpsuit, the shiny wetness slowly running down him and the puncture hold in his right side gave no impression that he was coming away from this unharmed.

"Shit."


	8. These Things We Can't Unlearn

Havok's cockpit was stifling, the silence from Sajjan wasn't helping the situation. He'd hardly spoken since seeing the Governor, appearing to keep his thoughts to himself. It was surreal and unnerving, Sajjan was never like this, so offended and distraught.

"Hey, I know you're upset but could you at least speak to me? Silence is deafening and all that."

The channel didn't close which was a positive sign, a sigh came soon after. "I'm sorry Elijah. I didn't mean to get so wound up, it's just… Just I wish that certain lines didn't have to be crossed, that we could try and be better people, rather than allowing the situation to break us."

Relief flushed the worry from him, "Don't be sorry dude, I just didn't realise it was that… I dunno… Personal?"

"I don't know Berlioz that well, few do, but I knew him well enough to know what his fears were. His concerns, the things that he wished he could change. It makes something like that even more painful, to know it's happening to him."

Considering this had likely been running around Sajjan's head since leaving, Elijah tried to change the subject, "So what do you think we're going to find down there?"

"Well…" There was a pause, "That depends. We don't know if this is a manufacturing facility or some kind of inbetween storage for raw materials. Perhaps a bunker of sorts in preparation for this war?"

Sajjan had a point, while they had seen transporters going from A to B, their actual cargo and intent was still unknown. It was entirely possible that this was actually nothing to do with GA's plans but as of right now, literally anything GA had to be taken seriously and as a potential threat against anyone.

Sajjan spoke again, "I've just realized, this is the first mission we've done together isn't it?" Elijah spent a second going over the last three years.

"No you're right, this'd be the first time wouldn't it? That's kind of… weird."

"It's a shame it took something like today to make it happen, would have been nice to not have such a weight on our shoulders."

Shuffling into a slouch, Elijah opened a channel with the pilot, "Can I get an ETA to drop?"

"ETA is twenty minutes to drop at 12km to mission area."

Twelve klicks wasn't too far at all. They could close that distance and enter the mission area before any potential retaliation.

"Alright, thanks."

The mission area was a remote and isolated mountain range which could pose a problem. If their drop point was on the wrong side of the range, they'd have to clear it before actually getting where they needed to go. Getting ambushed while trying to traverse a steep incline was not on his to-do list.

Sajjan spoke up, "You never did get around to telling me what happened in your last mission."

At this Elijah suddenly didn't want to talk about it, realizing he'd be bringing Berlioz back up again. But lying to Sajjan, even if you pulled it off, wasn't something that ever felt good.

"Oh. Uhh. Yeah, I'm not really allowed to speak about the details. Accepting the mission was effectively a contract of my silence regarding what I was supposed to do."

The sound of Sajjan humming in thought came back.

"Could you tell me who the 'opponent' you said you faced was?"

Elijah really didn't want to say but not saying would raise more questions. "It was Berlioz. He was the opponent I faced."

Silence came back at it. _Goddamn it._

Then, "I assume you returning unharmed meant he had a chance to speak to you?"

"Uh, yeah actually. He… He convinced me to turn back, should we say." That might be putting it lightly but easier than explaining he shot first.

"You might be surprised to hear it but that's actually fairly common for him, he detests fighting other Ravens. He'll usually go to great lengths to not even fire a single shot."

This fit his encounter with the Ninebreaker and also made sense in the context of what Leonhardt had told him.

"That doesn't make sense though, he's the Ace, the number one, why bother going to the troubl-"

"Just because he can doesn't mean he wants to. So many over the years have challenged him. Many would not back down even on the verge of death. Berlioz has killed more Ravens than all the rest of us combined, by a considerable margin too."

Just the thought of that turned Elijah's stomach. It was a natural reaction, but it was hard to hear. "How can he stand to be around us if he's killed so many? I can't think of many Ravens who hang around long after killing another?"

"Why do you think he's so infrequently spotted around? The very rare times he does go out in public he'll at least attempt to disguise who he is. Why do you think I stopped you bothering him a few nights ago?"

That through Elijah for a loop. _Bothering him a few nights ago? Who co-_ Then it hit him. Infrequently spotted meaning someone he wouldn't recognize. Attempt to disguise, he wouldn't be able to identify who they were. A few nights ago…

"Wait!? That was Berlioz in the Bar?!"

Sajjan's laughed echoed back at him it was so loud, "Oh Elijah you do amaze me sometimes. Yes, I knew it was him and figured that it must have been a bad day if he'd already preordered his drink before arriving."

Still reeling from the revelation, Elijah said, "Looking back on it now that was probably a good call on your part. In that state, if I'd realized who he was I dunno what I would have said."

"Well, at least you can understand maybe why now. Other people too selfish to let go, to maybe see that they were out of their depth forced him into a kill or be killed situation. It's like that with almost everyone at that level, particularly those who fought in many of the wars leading up to the Raven's declaration of independence."

Trying to imagine what it must have been like then was difficult. Before proper rules and regulations regarding the hiring of Ravens. Corporations were more than happy to pay Ravens loyal to them under the table to specifically target others who had be interfering with them. The turnover of Ravens back then was high, with the ratio rapidly skewing towards a large population of rookie and inexperienced Ravens and a small but extremely skilled group of elite Ravens at the top.

That situation had been one of the driving factors in their declaration, so that the Ravens could be treated more like people and less like an extension of the Corporations power.

It was becoming apparent to Elijah that maybe at the highest levels, the problem still existed.

"Did you ever see anything like they did?"

"I did, yes. But while I saw much violence and horror, there are those who have been fighting for far longer than I have. I signed up for the Ravens when I was twenty one and I turned twenty nine only a month ago, whereas Berlioz for example, I think he is around his mid-thirties and I don't actually know how old he was when he began his military career. He could have been younger than me."

That set off two lines of though in Elijah's head, "Wait, you said 'military career'?"

"Yes, Berlioz served in Rayleonard's Armed Forces for at least a couple of years before signing up as a Raven, he had the advantage of live combat experience from day one, I don't think people even considered him a rookie after less than a month."

"Was Berlioz a Raven by the time you signed up?"

There was a pause.

"Yes I believe he was, but it wasn't until several years in that I actually even got the chance to see him in person."

"So if Berlioz was a Raven when you signed on and is now in his thirties…"

"If you're thinking of what I think you are, then yes you would be correct. Berlioz indeed has the potential to have been in combat service of one form or another for virtually his entire adult life. We just don't know for sure as that information is confidential."

Elijah let out a long sigh. Three years had taken its toll on him already, sleep was at times difficult to get, there was no pattern to his life and he could potentially die at any moment. But in comparison to even Sajjan that was nothing, let alone Berlioz who could have been living like this or worse for over ten or more years.

The pilot's channel opened, "Ravens, we are approaching the drop point, prepare to drop."

Sajjan replied first, "Acknowledged, thank you."

"Alright thanks." Elijah closed the channel while Sajjan opened one to their Operator.

"Operator, drop is in three minutes, confirming mission objective. Investigate potential GA activity and report back with findings."

The Operator replied immediately, "Mission objective confirmed. Both Ravens are to confirm touchdown before mission commences."

"Thank you, Operator." The channel closed while Elijah set about setting Havok up to decouple from the Transporter.

The pilot's channel opened, "Ravens, we have reached the drop point, you are cleared to exit the transporter."

"Alright, thanks guys." With that, Havok switched from the gantry supplied power to its own generator. Both ACs inside the hangar slowly shifted to the rear as the hatch opened.

Havok was behind White Glint, meaning that Sajjan would drop first.

"Hey Elijah," Sajjan's voice made him jump, "This might seem out of the blue, but I think everything will turn out ok. We won't let the world fall apart will we?"

He couldn't help but grin at that, "Nahh of course not, couldn't have that now could we?"

At that, White Glint tipped forwards and fell out of the back. As Havok was in the second gantry mounting, he had to take a couple of steps inside the transporter forwards until he was standing in the same position that White Glint had.

It only took a slight nudge of the controls to let Havok fall over the edge.

The familiar disorientation kicked in as he tumbled down, Elijah allowed Havok to correct its own descent.

In moments he fired his boosters, slowing his fall until he touched down next to White Glint.

Sajjan's AC was a rarity. He'd spent several years saving his earnings until he had enough to pay for an entirely custom built design. Totally unique and one of a kind. While it was manufactured by Leonemeccanica and its internal components were standard issue, the actual AC frame made it stand out.

The personalized design wasn't without drawbacks. Any damage or maintenance that it needed often cost three times the average price as all spare parts had to be made to order.

However this was offset by the fact that Sajjan had a very high success rate meaning that money wasn't a problem for him.

"Operator, both Havok and myself have touched down successfully. Confirm mission start. White Glint switching to combat mode." Sajjan came through on the joint channel to their Operator.

Elijah chimed in, "Confirm mission start, Havok switching to combat mode."

Her reply came only a moment later, "Mission start confirmed. Good hunting Ravens, give'em hell from us on the Ark."

The channel closed.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Elijah asked.

"The transporters came in from this direction", White Glint pointed to the west and Elijah's gaze followed, "Then they approached this mountain range before vanishing, it's safe to assume that they landed then were taken somewhere so they'd appear to drop off the grid."

Elijah turned slightly to his left, now staring eastwards. "Cool, we'll burn east then and see what we stumble across."

"That's if Havok can keep up of course."

It was a challenge Elijah couldn't turn down despite the fact he was agreeing to something he knew he couldn't win. The jab at Havok was bait enough for him.

"Alright you're on!"

Without warning or countdown, Elijah shifted left and pushed the throttle on his boosters, quickly climbing to maximum speed. However, ACs were equipped with a typically unused system referred to as an 'Over Boost' or OB unit. A normally oversized booster hard mounted into the core and covered by protective armour until used. It provided explosive and almost uncontrollable speed at the cost of massive energy drain.

An AC could run on its regular boosters across the ground at full throttle almost indefinitely as most generators output power faster than the boosters could drain it, even flying through the air wasn't too much trouble for a mid-weight AC.

But firing up the OB gave you upwards of five times the speed for roughly ten seconds or less if allowed to run the AC's reserves dry. It was normally used in second or less bursts for instantaneous acceleration faster than even the regular boosters could provide.

Elijah specifically had a Rayleonard OB booster mounted into his Rosenthal manufactured core, which cost him extra. But the payoff was worth it.

Flicking the safety cover off the small button on one of his controls, he depressed it with a grin.

A dull clunk and a deafening whine rang out behind him. In an instant, he was slammed into his seat, the number displaying his speed was topping out at roughly twelve hundred kilometers per hour. Havok wasn't actually touching the ground as the resistance would prevent such speed.

In his head, he began counting down, _Four, Three Two On-_

White Glint passed him on his right.

"You goddamn cheater!"

Elijah knew this would be the result, every single time. White Glint wasn't called that for nothing. The most crucial part of its design was its extremely intricate and overwhelming powerful OB system. It didn't use a standardized booster from any Corporation, it was entirely custom and built as part of the AC's core.

White Glint effectively had 'two' pairs of shoulders. The first were the real ones where its arms connected to its core, the second false pair were extensions of the core that protruded out behind its actual shoulders. Each of these was a cluster of smaller boosters, along with another pair of unfolding sections filled with smaller boosters flanking a very large and unprotected engine, all of these extended outwards giving the AC a strange almost spider-like appearance from behind.

This design was the secret to White Glint's phenomenal and unmatchable speed, all of these booster clusters and its already extremely powerful OB unit combined to blast White Glint past the sound barrier with ease. A very heavily hand tuned Leonemeccanica generator output enough power for White Glint to use its OB system for nearly thirty seconds even with a full loadout of weapons and ammunition.

The AC itself was physically designed for this extended use of OB, as the arms and legs would lock into a more aerodynamic position and the head would hunker down into the body like a turtle.

Sajjan had told Elijah that during the testing runs during the design of the AC, White Glint had topped out at nearly eighteen hundred kilometers per hour before burning the generator to a crisp.

Elijah dropped out of OB, allowing Havok to settle back on the ground.

Sajjan came through over the com channel, "I did not cheat, you know that very well."

"Yeah I know I know."

White Glint slowed down, settling its pace to match Havok.

"Anything yet?" Elijah hadn't spotted anything out of the ordinary, but there was a chance Sajjan had.

"No nothing, I'm going to go high and see if we can spot anything that way." With that, White Glint's boosters flared and the AC lifted off the ground.

The mountains were looming closer, if they didn't find something soon they'd have to scale them.

Thankfully, Sajjan quickly spoke, "Elijah, we were right to take this route in!"

"Go on? What do you see?"

"If we wanted to find where those transporters were landing, we found it! We're on the landing strip!"

"Bwuh?" It hit him. "Oh shit what?!"

"Elijah! Straight ahead! Can you see?"

He magnified Havok's main view until he could see what Sajjan was trying to show him. Ahead of them, at the base of the mountain range were several blast doors left open, at least five or six at most.

"Sajjan, are they what I think they are?"

"I believe so, they look like hangar doors. It makes sense if you want to hide an aerial force you'd put it underground, a mountain range makes sense, more vertical space."

Elijah groaned, "Uugggghhhh I hate underground missions. No space to evade attacks. Limited to no support. They're just… Creepy."

The laughter ringing in his ears didn't help him. "Oh Elijah, don't tell me you're scared of the dark?"

"I ain't scared of the dark," he grumbled back, "I'm scared of the shit that hides in it."

White Glint touched down again and the pair came to a halt just outside the hangar. Elijah opened the channel to their Operator, "Operator, we've got definite evidence of _something_ here, several large blast doors in the side of a mountain and several large flat strips of land opposite them that look like they've been used as an airstrip."

"Alright, I'll pass that information on, can you investigate what's inside the blast doors?"

"Yeeaaah sure we can. We'll keep you posted."

The channel closed.

"Ok, shall we?" He gestured inside and White Glint began to walk inside. The moment he crossed the threshold, rows of lights flickered into life, they continued several hundred meters or further into the mountain.

"Woah, holy shit." Elijah followed Sajjan in, the pair now both inside the hangar. "If these doors slam shut behind us, I'm blaming you."

"Elijah, do you think all the craft that attacked the Ark came from here?"

He thought for a moment, "It's entirely possible that they launched their attack from here, but there was no evidence of the fighters arriving. There were only ever transporters loaded supposedly with construction ma-"

"Exactly, it is certainly a thought we must consider, that not only was the attack launched from here, but was it also built here as well?"

"Before we make that call let's get some solid evidence of that, I don't wanna half ass this thing and give the Governor the wrong information."

At that, White Glint's boosters flared bright and the AC slid deeper into the vast expansive open space.

Havok followed, tracking the walls, trying to see something that wasn't person sized doors, walkways and crates. Then something caught his attention.

"Yo Sajjan, on the right hand wall, you see it?"

"Hmm? Oh! Good spot. That looks like a service elevator."

The pair slid over before stopping short of it. The security grating was open, meaning that it was left like this when whatever was being moved had been unloaded.

"Do you think it could take the weight of two ACs?"

"Only one way to find out."

White Glint stepped into the middle of the platform before moving slightly to one side. There was no groaning or creaking which was a start.

"Feel like you're about to plummet into oblivion?"

"Not at all, seems stable to me."

Havok tentatively stepped forwards. But thankfully the platform remained immobile.

A few moments passed.

"Um, now what?"

"It doesn't have a physical interface, you'll have to remote into it. Should be on an open network and power appears to be working."

Turning to look at a multi-function display to his right, he did a quick local search for remote terminals, instantly finding the one for the service elevator they were standing on.

A second later, a revolving yellow light blinked on above them while a klaxon sounded. The grate slammed shut and the platform descended.

"I have a suspicion that stealth is out of the question then?"

#####

"Two more closing on the right!"

Elijah spun and began firing before he'd actually spotted the targets, a hail of rounds cutting one quad leg MT apart while the other skittered from side to side attempting to dodge the incoming fire.

"Breaking left!" Havok slid to one side and White Glint pushed forwards chasing the target, firing with its right hand rifle.

The corridor they were in meant that evasive tactics were almost useless on both sides. The MTs they had encountered so far had been special unmanned security types designed for fighting in these sorts of conditions.

Armed either with a high power cannon or multiple rocket pods, they used the long underground tunnels and corridors to pin their targets down with accurate pinpoint fire and suppressing barrages of explosives.

However, against the extremely durable and maneuverable ACs, their typical preprogrammed tactics fell apart when engaged at close range.

Elijah looked up at his radar screen out of habit, but here underground it was virtually useless due to so many conflicting signals.

Something slammed into Havok's shoulder. Spinning on the spot another quad leg MT darted backwards, its cannon blazing away.

"Goddamn it how many of these things are there?" He fired with both machine guns while pushing forwards, gaining on the MT.

In less than a second it was riddled with holes and collapsed in a smoking heap.

"Elijah! This way!"

He only caught a glimpse of White Glint as it disappeared around a corner. More cannon fire from behind the MT carcass signaled the arrival of reinforcements.

"Fuuuuuuck Sajjan don't just piss off like that!" A trio of rockets slammed into the wall and ceiling next to him. Being left with little option but to follow Sajjan, Elijah switched to his missiles and fired a volley before backing down around the corner.

"You better have a way out for us!" Elijah was beginning to get tired of this entire thing. They'd cleared four floors of the facility but had only found security MTs and maintenance areas, nothing that suggested construction.

"Another service elevator I'm afraid! Just get on!" The two MTs protecting the elevator were already in pieces by the time Havok closed in.

"Ugh just how goddamn far underground are we?!"

"I actually have no idea, far down enough that we haven't heard from our Operator in a while…"

Havok slid to a stop just before the elevator platform before running on.

"Wait what? Shit you're right."

As he fumbled with the remote terminal, more MTs turned the corner firing. White Glint stepped forwards shielding Havok while firing back.

"Elijah please! Anyti- AH!"

"Ok got it let's get outta here!"

The security grating closed but provided next to no protection as rounds from both sides punched through the thin metal fencing. Thankfully in moments they were out of the line of fire.

"Ok what happened? You alright in there?" He hadn't missed Sajjan's surprised shout but he'd been preoccupied with getting them to safety.

"Oh I'm fine thank you, but I'm afraid White Glint's left arm is no longer functioning correctly."

Elijah looked down and indeed there were several large holes in White Glint's left elbow, the arm hanging limp, the rifle still grasped tight in its hand though. At least he wouldn't have to pay for a new weapon.

"Well here's hoping that's the end of it huh?" Elijah dearly wished this was the case. He opened the channel to their Operator, "Operator, you there?"

He waited a few seconds. "Operator, can you hear us?"

Nothing.

Only silence came back at them. "Shit you were right, I can't get through."

"Considering we had contact before the last floor, I would assume it is due to our depth, not any form of external jamming."

Sajjan was right, if there communications had failed entirely upon entering, they could attribute it to a jammer, but as Elijah and Sajjan could still speak to each other over their local com channel, it meant they must be a fair way underground.

The service elevator came to a halt and the security grating struggled to open now being warped and twisted by the damage. Stepping off the platform, they both slid down the corridor towards a large blast door.

"No security?"

"I don't like it but… Can you remote this door?"

Elijah turned to the panel on his right, "Uhhhhhh yep! I see it, should be opening now."

On cue, with a rumble and grind, the large doors parted and revealed a colossal space inside, far larger than even the hangar they had entered in.

This space however, wasn't an open expanse.

"Sajjan, am I looking at what I think I am?"

"I believe you are, it's an assembly line. Or rather, many assembly lines."

Multiple stacks and rows of now static conveyor belts, laser cutters, rivet guns and metal treatment systems. It was a massive production line.

"Should…. Should we take a look around?"

Sajjan didn't answer but did begin walking forwards, through the blast door. Taking a look behind them in case of an ambush, Elijah followed.

"I'm not actually seeing anything here that suggests it was used to build those bombers in particular, this seems more like a component facility, where they build the smaller parts of things to send away for assembly somewhere else."

Elijah thought on that, "Well it's definitely a GA facility, their goddamn logo is on everything around here."

"That still doesn't mean much, we knew almost 100% from the start that they were here, and we were looking to see what exactly was going on."

"Do you think we can answer that question now?" Sajjan didn't answer straight away.

"Maybe, I just want to look around a little more, I feel like we're missing something."

Groaning, Elijah continued to follow, the only sound being the boom of their AC's feet on the metal ground.

"Come oooonnnn man can we just go? It's not like this place is exactly welco-"

"Elijah, what do you think the significance of that is?" Elijah stopped and followed White Glint's rifle as it pointed to a wall behind a large metal press.

On it, in faded white paint was 'F12/15'.

"F twelve fifteen? I have no idea."

"It wouldn't be there without reason, is it an area code? Are there any other numbers or codes like it on other walls?"

Panning his view around, he saw above the blast door they had walked through the same code stenciled in white, 'F12/15'. Turning around he noticed it was repeated along the walls in regular intervals.

"Yeah it's fuggin everywhere, I guess this whole place is F twelve fifteen. Not knowing what that means puts me o-"

_Wait._

"Sajjan, maybe we're reading it wrong. What if it's not, twelve fifteen, but it's twelve _out of_ fifteen." Perspective was everything and if that was truly the case…

"Elijah, go high, tell me what you see." Elijah pushed the throttle and angled his boosters vertical, climbing into the air, taking care to avoid crashing into anything above him.

"Oh god, Sajjan, we… We need to get back to the Ark, we need to warn them."

"Wait, why, what is it?"

Looking from the air, the room they were in was far more massive than could be seen from the ground. They entered through a tiny service tunnel, along the walls were gigantic tunnels with multiple belts leading away. Magnifying Havok's vision, he could make out, 'To F13/15'. On the opposite wall were more conveyor belts leading in, marked 'From F11/15'.

This wasn't the only part of the facility.

_There are fifteen in total, all linked, all producing parts._ All those hangars above now made sense. The force that had attacked the Ark would have only filled maybe one or two of those hangars. They had seen at least six.

"This isn't it, this isn't all there is here, this is part twelve of a production line made of fifteen other foundry and manufacturing rooms like this. I'm certain that not only did that attacking force launch from here, but it was built here too."

"But a facility of this size, all those hangars, that doesn't account for the small size of the attacking force? It doesn't make sense?"

"That's because that wasn't all of it. If all the hangars above us were full, not even taking into account the potential existence of other hangars in this mountain range, we can't account for a second wave twice as large as the first."

"Oh… We… We need to warn the Ark, it'll never survive an attack of that scale in the state it's in!"

Elijah dropped Havok back to the ground, transitioning into a slid towards the service elevator, closely followed by White Glint. "The first attack must have been a test, to see what capabilities we have to protect ourselves, the next one, whenever it comes, will be the real thing."

The second the two were on the platform, Elijah reopened the remote channel and sent them on their way up.

"Ok, now we have to get out of this shit hole."


	9. We Apologise For Nothing

The transporter came to a full stop inside the hangar and the rear hatch slowly lowered. On their way in, it had been nice to see that the Ark was no longer smoking, but the evidence of damage was still very clear.

Blackened armour plating on the main deck from missile impacts, large window sections replaced by temporary sheet metal. It was not enjoyable to see.

Elijah stood as Sajjan made his way to the ramp, "Do you want to get something to eat? I'm starving."

Sajjan had stopped at the very edge of the hold, right where the ramp dropped. "Dude, what's up? You no-" He followed what Sajjan was staring at, a woman with short blonde hair in a dark grey suit stood at the end of the ramp looking back up at them.

"I suspect your plans of a meal are about to be dashed." Sajjan, as usual, was entirely right as the woman began to speak.

"Ravens Elijah and Sajjan? The Governor has requested to see the two of you immediately. Please follow me."

Elijah looked at Sajjan, "Did we fuck up somewhere along the line?"

"I doubt it, but I suspect we have little choice in the matter." There was no humor on his face which lead Elijah to believe he still didn't think highly of the Governor. They both stepped down the ramp and followed in silence.

The woman said nothing while they walked but it wasn't hard to guess that their summoning was likely to do with the information they had relayed to their Operator while returning.

The Ark and the Ravens in general were in no position to go scouring the entire North American continent looking for a missing fleet of attack aircraft. They simply didn't have the manpower or resources.

The silence remained unbroken all the way up the elevator and up to the Governor's office door where she turned and faced them, "He's waiting inside." With that she left the two of them infront of the ajar door. Inside, several voices could be overheard speaking.

"Well, do we knock?" Elijah raised his fist to do just that when Sajjan just pushed it open and stepped inside. "That answers that."

"Governor," Sajjan began, "You asked to see us?" What caught Elijah slightly off guard was that Governor Archambault wasn't at his desk as he expected, but standing hunched over the large table with several other men and women, all wearing business suits.

"Ummm, are we interrupting something?" Elijah hissed to Sajjan while Desmond looked up at them.

"Ah, Sajjan, Elijah, I'm glad you're here now." The Governor waved them over, to join the group surrounding the table. Nervous looks were exchanged between the suits, none of them appearing happy to see them.

They shuffled aside to allow Elijah and Sajjan to see the tabletop. On it, were multiple blurry images, a pair of unrolled blueprints and several design schematics. All layered over each other in a jumbled heap from repeated moving and picking up, it was impossible to make out what exactly they had been studying.

"Before we go any further, you two realise that everything discussed here is to be kept between only those in this room, you understand? I'd rather not go through the trouble of legally gagging you as I trust Sajjan and by extension, Elijah as well."

They both nodded in agreement, "Of course."

"Good, now, I want to first thank you for the information that you sent us from your investigation. We now are aware of the threat that GA poses and we can be ready for the next attack."

Not that he wanted to say anything, but Elijah knew this had to be a bluff. The Governor had to know that the Ravens were vulnerable, that the Ark was not the perfect bastion of protection everyone thought it was.

Desmond continued, "Second, I would like to introdu-"

"Now Governor, as much as I know you trust them they are still mercenaries, many of us here would like to remain as anonymous as possible lest we find a price on our heads when this is done."

Sajjan appeared unfazed but Elijah saw fit to shoot the man a scowl. Desmond equally appeared somewhat upset, "I would prefer if you don't equate Ravens to the likes of mere mercenaries."

"At the end of the day Governor," one of the women spoke up now, "We must account for the fact that we cannot risk our involvement in this becoming public knowledge, we have more at stake than our careers and reputation these days."

Several people nervously stared at the table. It was becoming clear that something was going on here. "Excuse me, I'm not entirely sure what is happening here. Before discussing our involvement, perhaps we should understand why we are all gathered here?"

Glances were shared with the suits, some muttered to each other. Elijah was getting tired of the secrets and whispering.

Desmond spoke over them, "Alright everyone, this is pointless. The only reason this plan exists is because of the Ravens so how about we get over ourselves and actually talk about this?"

A short silence followed before, "Fine. My name is Adriane Friedmann, I am the leader of the Bernard and Felix Foundation's Research and Development Division. All of us here are members of BFF. However regarding name and position in the Corporation, that will be up to individuals to disclose."

_Wait what, BFF? The hell are head members of BFF doing here?_ Elijah glanced between Sajjan and Desmond, waiting for someone to explain what exactly was going on.

The Governor was the first to speak, "As you know, the two of you were sent to investigate the attack on the Ark while Berlioz investigated the Exavil ruins. Well what Berlioz found is the reason these members of BFF are here."

Elijah looked at the table top, scanning over the various images. It was difficult to actually understand what he was supposed to be looking at with only poor quality images and fractions of the blueprints being visible from where he was looking.

"Not long after arriving at Exavil, Berlioz was attacked and forced to retreat." That sentence alone caused looks of genuine concern between Sajjan and Elijah. The concept of something able to make Berlioz fall back was terrifying. "It was indirect fire, he could not physically engage his opponent so he resorted to getting the best images he could of the target before falling back. Those images are the ones you see before you. Using some information networks we were put in touch with BFF who were able to confirm what it was and blueprints for it."

Before Desmond had a chance to continue one of the BFF members spoke up, "I feel like this is where I come in. My name is Jonas Amsel. I work under Ms. Friedmann and this particular weapons system was my project. Its name is Spirit of Motherwill. It was designed as a mobile extreme range fire support platform with the capability to rearm and restock MTs and light aircraft."

Sajjan spoke this time, "That sounds like a rather serious project. Interesting that this is the first we've heard of it?"

Jonas gave an exasperated sign, "That would be because BFF terminated and buried the project when several flaws in the design were found to be unsolvable during the last stages of construction. We… No, I believed that during the construction period I could work the kinks out of the design and implement them regardless of how far along progress was. As it turned out, fixing them in turn caused numerous other issues that were equally as complex to work around."

"I'm assuming then," Elijah chipped in now, "That what, they cut your funding?"

"Oh no nothing like that, I was directly ordered to cease all work on the project and the near completed prototype was left where it was. All evidence of the project was destroyed and I was moved on to other work."

"Wait, BFF just left it there?" The concept of a weapon like this just being left somewhere was somewhat disturbing to Elijah.

"Well, the location of Motherwill was kept under the highest level of secrecy. Like I said all the documentation was destroyed."

"Then please explain how GA found it and used it to destroy Exavil." Sajjan was apparently not in the mood to dance around the issue.

Nobody said anything, instead sharing nervous looks before a different man spoke up, "My name is Emile Serres. I am the Operations Manager for BFF." Several staff members began to speak over him but Adriane silenced them with a glare. "I feel it is important to say that Global Armaments didn't find Motherwill."

Nobody said anything, the implication already becoming clear.

"The Bernard and Felix Foundation _gave_ Motherwill to GA."

"You fucking what?" Elijah said far clearer than he intended. Realising that everyone was suddenly staring at him he followed with, "No, wait, no sorry, but. What? You gave them Motherwill?"

Adriane spoke up, "Please do not assume that we gave it up willingly. While you Ravens have been going about your lives, GA has been bullying the minor Corporations into submission. Eventually they gained enough clout behind the scenes that when they came knocking on our doors with threats against our lives and that of our families we had no choice but to give them what they wanted."

Desmond said, "This is why the members of BFF are here. After the fall of Exavil, the vast majority of the Corporation did not wish to sit idly by while their creation was turned against others."

"I'm assuming that's the reason behind all the information here regarding Motherwill?" Sajjan asked, pointing towards the table top.

Jonas picked up the blurry images, moving them to one side and pushed the now clear blueprint image towards Elijah and Sajjan, "That is Motherwill, in terms of scale, there isn't a AC in existence that could mount a weapon capable of punching through its armour, not to mention the hordes of MTs and aircraft that will likely be supporting it. It has two triple-barrelled cannons that are designed for over the horizon firing, with a forward spotter, this can be extremely accurate at even the longest ranges. It is likely that the people filming the destruction of Exavil also acted as spotters for Motherwill's main guns."

"I'm assuming that isn't all it can do?" Elijah figured that relying on extreme range guns and MTs was somewhat of a flawed design alone, not even considering whatever the actual problem was. Looking at the blueprints, now with a clear image of what it actually was, it wasn't hard to see why GA wanted it.

Standing tall enough that it could likely step over city blocks, with six colossal armoured legs. From the body above the legs in two overlapping layers were six short wings that had aircraft and MT launch catapults not dissimilar to aircraft carriers. That was likely how Motherwill deployed its onboard forces.

Exactly as Jonas had said, at the very top, either side of a large blocky command superstructure were two oversized turrets with three barrels each.

"You'd be correct, in addition to its guns and support units, Motherwill has an extremely large complement of missile pods. Though those are really only effective against targets that are not actually standing on its own flight deck, Motherwill is unable to fire missiles against a target that is that close. Of course there are multiple banks of smaller calibre guns and point defence systems but that is where the chinks in the design began to show."

Elijah had a feeling they were starting to get to the point of this whole affair.

"Motherwill is almost entirely reliant on its point defences and support MT forces when it comes to targets that engage it at effectively point blank range. The real nail in the coffin when it came to the Spirit of Motherwill Project was that in my original design, the turrets were smaller and just as well armoured as the rest of Motherwill, it would have taken weapons of equal power to destroy it. However, during the build process we realised the turrets would have to be considerably larger to be able to fit the guns we wanted in and be able to counteract the recoil of said weapons. This in turn meant that the turrets, if armoured in the same way would be too heavy for the rotating mechanism to function, meaning that Motherwil would have had to turn its entire body to line its guns up."

Jonas pointed to the turrets, highlighting the fact that they were little more than cannon barrels with a loading and recoil system mounted to what looked like oversized scaffolding. Completely exposed.

Jonas continued, "That was effectively the last straw. These unarmoured guns presented too much of a problem for BFF and the threat of a target managing to get that close meant that they could not trust Motherwill to survive an engagement with something that could avoid its long range fire. I suppose in a way, I hope to prove them correct."

The puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place as Jonas explained the very specific weaknesses in Motherwill's design. On its own as a support platform, you couldn't ask for more from it, however in direct combat, it suffered the same issues as all support units did. Overspecialisation. Motherwill was clearly geared towards extreme range firepower, meaning its close range capabilities were poor, which meant their plan to presumably take it out, would involve getting close.

It was now Desmond's turn to speak, "This is where you two come in. An Armored Core is likely one of the few targets small enough, fast enough, and tough enough to survive Motherwill's point defences while attacking it."

"As well as that may be, how exactly do we destroy it?" Sajjan asking the very same question running through Elijah's mind.

"When I looked over Jonas' final designs before the project was shut down, it was clear that the reason the exposed guns were such an issue was that even light enemy fire could disable or in some way damage the guns so that they could no longer be used effectively. However focused fire could cause the heavy guns to collapse into their own mounting which would likely cause catastrophic internal damage."

"So the plan is," Elijah jumped in, "To attack those cannons to the point where they collapse?"

"Effectively, yes."

A frown spread across Elijah's face, "Ok, next problem. How exactly do we get close enough to this thing without being pasted by cannon fire and missiles on the way in?"

"Fo-" Desmond had barely begun speaking when a man wearing a medical uniform ran into the room, panting somewhat. "Can I help you? I'm i-"

"I am so sorry Governor," the man said, "But you asked us to let you know when he got back." He took a deep breath before carrying on, "We have Berlioz in medical. He is stable but was badly injured."

If the man's rather dramatic entrance hadn't caught Elijah's attention, the mention of Berlioz did. _Berlioz is injured?_ He knew that he'd been forced to fall back but it hadn't been brought up that he'd actually been injured.

"Thank you very much for that, please let him know the information he provided was a great help to us. Let me know if his condition improves or worsens." The man nodded before leaving again.

One of the so far unnamed BFF members with a wry grin on his face muttered to someone next to him, "The invincible ace of Rayleonard injured? Maybe Motherwill wasn't as flawed as we thoug-"

Sajjan slammed his palm on the table edge, expressionless. "Could we please return to the problem at hand?"

The BFF executive was silent from then on while Desmond resumed, "Regarding the issue of getting close enough to Motherwill, BFF has a solution to this." He rolled up the Motherwill blueprint and unrolled another, this time showing off what looked like an oversized rocket booster, end to end it was almost as long as an AC was tall.

"This is a Vanguard Over Boost system, it was designed with the intention of providing a much faster and more intercept resistant way of inserting Armored Cores into high risk mission areas. In effect, it is perfect for this particular situation as it will allow you to close on Motherwill faster than it should be able to retaliate."

The confusion on both Elijah and Sajjan's face was obviously apparent as Desmond carried on, "It works to amplify your AC's Over Boost allowing you to easily travel far, far faster than you could normally could. It is mounted onto the back of your AC here," he pointed to the end of the VOB system that didn't look like a ridiculous cluster of rocket nozzles.

"You'll then launch from a modified gantry near the target and once you are clear of the launch platform the booster will light and within roughly a minute you should be on top of Motherwill. At that point you will manually detach the VOB unit before landing on Motherwill's fight deck. From there its up to you to destroy its main guns and hopefully bring this thing down. At the absolute least if you are unable to destroy Motherwill, taking its guns out will defang it and allow us to deal with it at a later time."

Elijah let out a long breath after hearing this. "Wow it's not like you're asking the world of us is it?"

Desmond did look like he understood what he was asking. It couldn't exactly be easy on him knowing the risks. "You're right, it is a lot, more than I believe reasonable. But these times have gone from normal to terrible at lightning pace, we can't afford to delay."

Sajjan nodded, "So long as there is a chance and hope we will keep fighting for it, Unfortunately, White Glint was damaged in our mission, not critically, but considering Havok is in better condition, I would suggest that Elijah perform the first attack. Should the need arise, I will go in second."

An eyebrow was raised at that as Elijah looked at him, "Should the need arise? You mean if I get killed?"

"I di-"

"No dude, it's fine really. I just wish you'd be a little more honest about something like this." He genuinely wasn't upset, he just knew that there absolutely was a chance he could die doing this. It wasn't in the realm of impossibility.

He looked at all the faces watching them. Faces that were tired, worn down. People who obviously carried the guilt of their creation being turned against innocents.

"Say no more. We're in."


	10. Another Version of the Truth

As the large office door was closed before them, Elijah and Sajjan began to walk back to the Reception area. Elijah was the first to speak, "It's just one thing to another isn't it?"

There was a small smile on Sajjan's face but he wasn't sure if he was just putting it on, "Indeed, I feel like this war is escalating faster than any other before, particularly regarding the targets so far."

"That's a good point. Never heard of Corporation Headquarters being attacked before, then again it was never technically the Corporations that were actually fighting each other was it? Taking each other out would have defeated the point of the Pax Economica."

Sajjan nodded as they turned a corner, "Very true, but then this never was part of the Pax from the very beginning, GA made that explicitly clear with their opening move of the war. That was the entire point of that broadcast. They wanted everyone to know that this was not the same kind of war they had grown so apathetic to."

As they entered the Reception area, Elijah replied with, "Well as its so different maybe it'll be over sooner? Considering GA has taken literally everyone else in the world on." As they walked towards the elevator doors, a man stood up from a seat next to the wall and hurried over to them.

As he caught their attention, Elijah realized it was the same nurse who had come into Desmond's office to tell them about Berlioz's return. "Excuse me, I am sorry to bother you, but would you two happen to be the Ravens who investigated the attack on the Ark?"

His eyes nervously flicked between the two of them like he was unsure if asking such a question was allowed. Sajjan answered as Elijah stumbled to think of a cohesive sentence.

"Indeed we are, can we help you?" There was a flash of relief on his face, clearly this was a man who hadn't dealt with Ravens much in his time on the Ark.

"When we brought Berlioz in, he asked if the Ravens investigating the attack on the Ark could see him as soon as possible. He specifically refused treatment until he'd spoken to you so we're somewhat eager for his request to go through."

Elijah and Sajjan looked at each other. _Berlioz requested to see us? Personally?_ In ways it made sense, he had his side of the story regarding Exavil but he likely had no idea what happened to the two of them in their mission. Elijah was about to answer when Sajjan quickly spoke first. "Elijah, give my apologies to Berlioz but I have business to attend to that I must prioritise. I'm sure you have time?"

"You what?"

Sajjan just smiled wide, unflinching. He came to the conclusion very quickly that Sajjan probably had something extremely important to do and he genuinely couldn't go with him. "Uhhhh yeah! No sure I'll… I'll go."

"Thank you Elijah, I will be sure to speak to you later." He nodded to the both of them before turning around and heading back to the Reception desk.

"Ok, right this way then." The nurse held his arm out towards the still open elevator door. As they stepped in, Elijah looked back at Sajjan while the doors shut but he didn't look back. A somewhat awkward silence fell on them as they descended back into the heart of the Ark.

"Can I ask how he is?" Elijah was somewhat concerned as to the state he would be seeing Berlioz in as the nurse hadn't originally gone into detail as to what had actually happened to him.

"The biggest issue is the shrapnel that's made a mess of his gut, we stopped the majority of the internal bleeding with cavity foam but once that breaks down he'll be in trouble. We've got a couple of hours before that but I'm hoping the moment you two are done talking we'll wheel him into surgery and actually sort him out. He won't be piloting any ACs for a while though, no chance that injury will heal under the conditions you guys go through in those things."

Elijah couldn't keep the concern off his face at that, as much as it sounded like they had it under control, the fact that Berlioz was putting off the surgery that would guarantee his survival didn't leave the best taste in his mouth. "I'm assuming that any other injuries were less severe?"

The nurse's face twisted somewhat, "Less severe only in that they didn't threaten his life in that very moment. He had a concussion, two broken ribs, lacerations on his head and arms. Heavy bruising pretty much all over his shoulders, chest and back. I'll be honest, I'm genuinely surprised he managed to get his AC back in the condition he was in. Any ordinary man would have probably passed out."

This did nothing to ease Elijah's anxiety. The question running through his mind now was if Berlioz was cognitive enough to hold a conversation of any depth.

As they left the lift and headed to the Medical Wing of the Ark, Elijah had the sudden realization that he was actually going to have a one on one conversation with Berlioz. No interruptions, no fighting, just to be able to talk.

As they approached the Medical Wing's main entrance, nerves began to get the better of him as nausea washed over him and his hands started shaking. This reaction was somewhat unwarranted as Berlioz wasn't exactly threatening his life, but it was more that he hadn't had the time to mentally prepare himself for such an encounter.

As brief and strange as their last meeting had been, everything he'd heard and learnt about the man who was number one had been second or third hand knowledge. Nothing particularly concrete and not all of it could be trusted to be true.

This would be the moment when the truth would come to light, when he could get answers to questions that had been sidestepped or turned around. Maybe Berlioz wouldn't tell him everything, but it was the best opportunity that he was going to get. He could know exactly what it was he had been striving for this whole time.

He stood awkwardly shuffling a few feet behind the nurse while he spoke to the woman behind the Medical Wing's Reception desk, unsure as to what exactly was going to happen next.

Only a moment later the nurse began to walk away, turning to wave him over. "This way Raven, he's resting but still awake."

As they passed by occupied room after occupied room, it suddenly struck Elijah as to how small this wing was. It wasn't surprising that it was so overloaded following the attack on the Ark.

Seconds later they stood before a door that had _'Gerald Hutchinson - Engineering Dept.'_ on the information panel. Elijah raised an eyebrow at this, looking to the nurse for an answer.

"Oh that? His request, didn't want anyone wandering past and noticing who was in there." He opened the door and then stood aside, "I figured he'd want to speak to you alone."

Elijah stepped inside as the door was closed behind him. The silence was deafening. In the bed in front of him lay a man wearing an oxygen mask who looked to be in maybe his thirties, of Asian descent with short black hair. The most surprising thing about him was just how unremarkable he was, no real defining features, no scars or facial hair. If you lost sight of him in a crowd for a moment he was the type of person you'd never be able to pick out again.

Elijah became very conscious of the fact he was just standing and staring, so he walked to the wall facing the foot of the bed to grab a chair from the few lined up there. As he grabbed the chair and turned around, he glanced at the patient info on a clipboard hanging on the end of the bed.

_'Berlioz Lamond - Raven, DOB: 05/01/2079'_

Turned out his guess regarding Berlioz's age had been correct. Learning his surname was strange, it was like something you just weren't meant to know. He didn't look long enough to see anything else but still felt somewhat guilty for peeking, like a child who wasn't caught stealing but still knew what they did was wrong.

He carried the chair over to the bedside and placed it as quietly as possible. The nurse had told him that Berlioz was awake but right now his eyes had been closed the entire time Elijah had been in the room.

The moment he sat down, a muffled voice quietly said, "That's illegal you know."

Elijah almost jumped out of his seat, but managed to pull off just jolting upright, looking at Berlioz who had turned his head slightly to stare back at him.

"I- Uh- Um- Y- Uh" Not a single coherent thought passed through Elijah's mind as he scrambled for a response that wasn't stupid despite having already failed that task.

"Doctor-Patient Confidentiality is still a thing these days, can't go peeking at things like that."

Elijah settled on the one thing to say that made sense, "I am so sorry!" Even if thinking straight was beyond him, at least apologizing was a thing he could still do.

"It's fine, I guess I should say, welcome to the club of those who know my last name." Berlioz slowly pulled his right hand from under the covers at his side up to his face and pulled the mask off, leaving it sitting around his neck. "I feel it's unfair that you know more about me than I do about you though, what's your name Raven?"

"My name is Elijah Thomson, I am the pilot of the AC Havok." A weak frown crossed Berlioz's face.

"Havok? I reco- Ahh that was you wasn't it? Outside the Rayleonard Energy Cell Factory"

If Elijah could have sweat any harder they would have been swimming in only minutes. It wasn't unrealistic for Berlioz to remember him, even as brief as their encounter had been, it was only a day or so ago so it would have still been somewhat fresh in his mind. It certainly was for him. "Yeah that was me." He was mentally kicking himself for not saying anything else, _Yeah that was me?! Come on could you be any blander?!_

"That's a hell of a coincidence, who'd have thought the Raven I faced then would have been the same to investigate the attack on the Ark. The same Raven who now sits alone here. Speaking of that, weren't there two of you sent?"

"Uhh yeah, Sajjan said he had something he had to prioritise over this, he wanted me to say he was sorry."

Berlioz chuckled quietly, wincing slightly, likely because of the broken ribs and shrapnel wound. "I haven't spoken to him much, but Sajjan is a memorable fellow. If I get the chance I'll have to ask him what was so important."

Elijah was no longer surprised at Sajjan's connections and acquaintances, he just assumed he knew everyone regardless of position and status.

"I suppose we'd best get to the point, I can't have the medical staff working themselves into a state for too long." Berlioz very gingerly shifted himself up the bed somewhat until he was in a more upright position. "What did you and Sajjan find then? Start from the beginning."

So Elijah told him about the meeting with the Governor, leaving out the part regarding his sale by Rayleonard to the Ark. Then went on to tell Berlioz about finding the large hangar doors in the mountains, their descent underground and finally the colossal manufacturing line on the lowest level.

Berlioz was silent throughout, only listening until Elijah had finished. There was a brief moment when nothing was said, but Berlioz suddenly said, "Well GA's desire for Motherwill now makes a lot more sense."

Elijah said nothing as he tried to follow Berlioz's apparent chain of thought, something that he obviously saw and proceeded to explain, "GA won't have a lot of bases where they could resupply a force of that size, certainly none where they could do it without giving the location away. Motherwill, while slow, is mobile and after a few days could be in a totally different location."

"So they want to use it to keep that air force going while using its guns to strike distant targets?"

Berlioz frowned at that, "I feel like the destruction of Exavil was more for show than an actual functional use of Motherwill's own firepower. Those cannons certainly have range, I can attest to that. But it's not like they can strike across the continent like a fighter can. Motherwill's primary function for now will be the support of that aerial force."

On that, Elijah decided to ask regarding the investigation of Exavil, despite knowing most of the details from the meeting with Desmond, "So what did you find at the Exavil site? I mean I know about Motherwill but was there anything else there?"

Turning his head back to look at the ceiling, Berlioz answered, "No, not really. There wasn't anything left. All that was there was rubble, ash and bodies. No survivors, no one to rescue, nothing anyone could do."

Elijah would never admit it, but now having had more time to look at Berlioz close, the finer details became clearer. The tone of his voice matched his face. Worn down. Tired. Older than they are. There were dark circles under his eyes, ones that looked like they'd become permanently etched there. Like no amount of sleep could get rid of them.

Worried thoughts began to run around his head, that anxiety was coming back. Just like the talk with Leonhardt, just like the fight at the Rayleonard Facility. That uncertainty that his preconceived notions regarding Berlioz and being the Ninebreaker were at risk of being proven wrong.

Elijah decided to press on with a different topic, "The nurse told me that you might not be able to pilot for a while with these injuries. You think you're gonna be bed ridden for this whole war?"

"Oh is that what they told you? Must be a new guy, most of the staff here gave up trying to keep me in here years ago."

Annoyingly, Berlioz left it at that. Now frowning, Elijah tried another question, "Why the title Ninebreaker? Where does that come from?" He'd been told many different myths and stories regarding the highly sought after position but he wanted to know if any of them were true.

Berlioz pondered for a short moment before answering, "Only a few months after the creation of the Ravens, an independent Raven who broke away from the Ark had been raiding multiple Corporation bases and colonies. It was getting to the point where they could not afford to leave them alive any longer so they commissioned the Ravens to kill them."

Elijah hadn't heard this version before, so he listened carefully.

"Unfortunately, this particular rogue Raven was extremely skilled and they cut down would-be killer after killer. Nobody alive remembers anything about them or their name, only the name of the AC they piloted, called Nine Ball. Initially the Corporations were unwilling to spend much but as the damage to their bases and property grew larger and larger. The death count climbing and climbing, they eventually hired the current number one Raven, Leos Klein, to take him down."

This was all entirely new to Elijah, who had never been told all this before.

"It actually took Klein two attempts to bring Nine Ball down, as he was forced to retreat the first time due to battle damage. But in the second encounter, he finally killed him. Upon returning, he was given the title of Ninebreaker, the one who broke the Nine Ball. We don't know the circumstances behind his death but it is safe to assume that Kasumi Sumika killed him and took the position of the Ninebreaker for herself."

The tangent Elijah tried to take the conversation on quickly petered out, leaving him wondering what to try and talk about next. In a similar vein to his meeting with Leonhardt, he had Berlioz's undivided attention, to waste it would be almost criminal.

However, eventually, Elijah settled on the fact that he was just going to have to get to his own personal questions. "Hey Berlioz, what… what's it like being the Ninebreaker? What's it like to be the number one?"

Elijah waited, looking up from the floor to see Berlioz still staring at the ceiling, unmoving. In an instant, the silence became oppressive, as Elijah's nerves got the better of him. _Oh God, should I not have asked? Is he pissed?! What do I do? Do I just leave? Is h-_

"I was wondering when you'd ask."

He still wasn't looking at him, but at least his answer wasn't yelling or orders to leave. His face on the other hand still gave the impression that he wasn't exactly happy to be talking about this.

"There are a lot of different answers for even a single question like that. You can't just explain it in a single term or concept. There are many, many layers to living like this."

None of what he was saying sounded good. Elijah pushed onwards regardless, "Ok, what if… What if I said that… I wanted… If I wanted to be the next Ninebreaker, what would you say?"

Another pause. Elijah wanted to be glad that Berlioz was apparently putting this much thought into his answers but equally his stomach was twisting something fierce at the potential reply.

"Part of me wants to just let you."

_What?_ Elijah wished he could have misheard him but Berlioz was speaking clearly. He couldn't understand, just give away the Ninebreaker position? Surrender the place that could give you almost anything you wanted?

But Berlioz wasn't done and Elijah was beginning to regret asking now.

"The other part, doesn't want there to be another Ninebreaker. If I had my way, the rank of Ninebreaker will die with me and we'll just be done with it."

His mouth was dry, Elijah could not believe what he was hearing. "But… Why? Why would you… I... I don't understand?"

"How about this, why don't you tell me what you think being the Ninebreaker should be? Why don't you tell me what you think you're aiming for? What you think you're gonna get out of it?"

The twisting gut feeling he'd had the moment this conversation thread started reached a peak. Elijah felt sick, the hostility and venom in Berlioz's questions was unexpected at best. He couldn't construct any kind of adequate response, doing little but trying to speak, nervously looking around while Berlioz's gaze burned into him.

"I- I don't- I di- I just-" Stammering, Elijah just wanted the world to swallow him whole so he didn't have to sit here.

"I'll let you in on a secret. The secret I could never speak of until now," Berlioz began, interrupting Elijah's feeble attempts to talk, "Many years ago, well before I was the Ninebreaker, I was picked with a group of other Ravens for a test pilot program in Rayleonard. Towards the end of the program, I was approached and told that I would be the winning candidate. I was offered an exclusive contract, which I accepted but couldn't sign until the test program had officially ended."

He didn't sound as harsh now but it was easy to hear that his voice was strained, this wasn't something he talked about lightly. Elijah did his best to listen carefully.

"For the first few weeks following my acceptance, it was… it was like a dream. There were enormous parties and events, drink, women, VIPs, hopeful speeches promising the return of the glory humanity had in the past. I genuinely believed I had stepped into some bizarre world of wealth and power. That my skill had given me the right to partake in this decadent life. I'll bet that's what you thought it was like. That's what was waiting for you at the top, the life and acknowledgement you wanted so badly."

There was a noticeable bitterness to Berlioz's speech, there was more to this story that he had yet to hear. In ways, Berlioz was indeed correct. That definitely sounded like what he expected. Elijah nodded slowly, staring at his feet.

Berlioz continued, "In a terrible way, I was right. It was a dream. It wasn't real. One night I was woken by men beating me senseless, putting a bag over my head and dragging me to a transporter. The next time I saw anything I was forced into a chair with a new edited contract on the table, armed soldiers flanking me and Victor Rayleonard sitting opposite me. He was the man I thought was going to take me places. I thought he cared about me, thought he was a good man with big plans for the future. I was right only about the last part."

Elijah didn't want to hear anymore. He'd been wrong. He'd been wrong this whole time. Spent too long dreaming. Too long imagining what he could do with that power. Now was the time to stop dreaming and Berlioz was the wake up call.

"The new contract had none of the previous things offered to me. A fraction of the original pay for my exclusive service, no housing, no support, nothing. I would effectively be signing my rights away and pledging myself to them as little more than a weapon, an extension of Victor Rayleonard's will."

He paused, taking a slow deep breath.

"Of course I initially refused, not quite understanding what was going on at the time. They asked nicely, I said no. They stopped being nice, I said no. They beat and broke me, I said no. I honestly thought I was going to die, but there was no way I was going to sign that contract…"

Elijah was rapidly realizing that as much as this was part of Berlioz's warning against being the Ninebreaker, it was probably one of the first times he could tell his story.

However much Elijah wanted to turn around and leave, to carry on believing in his goal and wish, he could not go on knowing it was false. He carried on listening.

"It came to a point when I realized there was literally nothing they wouldn't do." Berlioz shifted slightly, now looking back at Elijah, "I have a sister. Her name's Alicia. The only family I've got left. The uncle who sheltered me after the Great Destruction died many years ago and she went into a foster family. I'll be one hundred percent honest and say not a soul alive except you and I now know this."

While this wasn't exactly earth shattering knowledge to Elijah, the fact that his sister had been such a secret to keep meant she was obviously important in some way.

"On the table in front of me, a portable computer was set up with a live two way camera feed. At first I had no idea what they were planning as I was drifting in and out of consciousness at this time, but when the feed on the other end turned on, I knew exactly what they were capable of. The other video feed was of my sister, tied to a chair in her own home with Rayleonard soldiers behind her, one with a knife to her neck."

He'd known Rayleonard were often ruthless but this was flat out abhorrent, it was becoming horrifically clear as to why he was the Ninebreaker now. Berlioz carried on, quietly.

"Victor told me that he'd expected resistance. Beforehand, several of his most trusted men broke into the home of the family who had been raising her, killed them and had setup this feed in the event I didn't sign the contract."

If Elijah wasn't sitting so close and leaning in, Berlioz would be almost inaudible. He was grateful for the silent room. It didn't make listening to what he was actually saying easier though, his head filled with the image of what Berlioz had to go through.

"He took a gun from one of the soldiers in the room with us and put it to my head. He gave me a choice. I refuse one more time, he shoots me on camera and the soldiers kill my sister. Or I sign it and we both live. I'm sure you can guess which I chose?"

The weak smile on his face said it all.

He valued the life of his sister over his own. Signing a contract that effectively ended his life as an individual.

"I haven't seen her face since then. Only later did I learn that there was an additional clause in the contract that meant I could have no contact with family so long as that contract was valid. The only reason I know she's still alive is because I kept fighting for them. It's been nearly eight years since then, she'd have turned twenty six this year."

Any sympathy for Rayleonard that Elijah had held at this point was gone. Blaming those in the Corporation for the actions of the man leading them was wrong but it was hard to detach them from the whole.

As terrible as Berlioz's story was, Elijah was fully aware that all of these events preceded his becoming the Ninebreaker. "I don't… I don't really know what to say but I'm sorry."

"What's there for you to be sorry for? What happened wasn't your fault now was it?"

"No I kn-"

"I get it, it's fine."

He really didn't want to press on but, "But you weren't the Ninebreaker at the time? Did… Did things get better then?"

It was a grasp of blind optimism that Elijah hoped would yield results.

"Does this seem like a story with a happy ending?"

Of course not, but Elijah wished dearly that it did. However, "Well the story hasn't ended yet has it? You're still alive? Rayleonard is gone, surely you can see your sister again?

Berlioz gave him an exasperated look, one that said 'You should know better'. "The contract I signed still exists, I know I was transferred to the Ark, they hold my contract now and it isn't one that can just be dissolved without consequence. It's not like anything has changed, I was the weapon of Rayleonard and now I am the weapon of the Ark. I was a fool to think otherwise but they're all the same. Desmond is a better man than many but he is not a good man. Good men are like a myth now."

The slight against Desmond was not unexpected, Elijah had seen Sajjan's anger with the leader of the Ravens and now Berlioz too expressed an apparently deep dislike of him as well.

"After I signed that contract, Victor and the rest of Rayleonard acted like it never happened. They proudly showed off and publicly gave me Supplice, the latest product of their research in a glamourous event, the parties went on as usual, the drink came as usual. It was like they were trying to convince me that it all wasn't real. To accept that reality. To believe what they were offering was better."

Berlioz's face twisted as he became visibly angry, "It made me sick to my core. To see them laughing and celebrating my signing. Like they believed I had come on willingly. Like I believed in their cause!"

Elijah had to lean back now as sitting so close was almost terrifying. Berlioz was past noticing, carrying on, "When the day came that the Ninebreaker Wynne D. Fanchon stood before me, you know why she was fighting? You wanna know what she wanted? My mission was the wholesale slaughter of thirty thousand unregistered refugees who had set up a colony in an old Rayleonard Underground Storage Center. My orders were plain and simple murder and there was nothing I could do to refuse. She defied Leonemeccanica to stand before me, to protect the innocent. To do the right thing…"

"Did… Did she try the same thing you did to me? To convince you to turn back?"

Through a bitter and wry grin, Berlioz said, "She did. Just like before, you can guess the choice I made, can't you?"

Elijah could. Berlioz's past was being unfolded and laid out before him like a blood soaked origami figure.

"I'll give Wynne her dues, she certainly earned the position of Ninebreaker, she deserved the title. She was someone I could maybe have called good. I didn't know her that well, I couldn't call her a friend. We were both S-Rank, we were aware of each other's skill and our position. But I had Supplice. I had an advantage that shouldn't have existed."

"You don't need to say it. You're the Ninebreaker now, I can guess what happened."

Berlioz gave a weak, empty laugh, Elijah wasn't looking at his face anymore, just the floor. "Yeah I bet you can. The difference between us wasn't just in our ACs. We both had something to fight for, something to kill for. Hers was a selfless fight, a fight for the many. Mine was selfish, a fight for one."

Elijah was silent now, just listening. The conflicting beliefs in his head clashing as his ideals of being the Ninebreaker and the truth crashed into one another.

"There was no way either of us could walk away alive. When the end came she begged, she pleaded and begged not for her life but theirs. For the thousands who's only chance to live was her."

_I wish I could walk away._

"She got up again and again until her AC literally could no longer stand, she dragged herself in front of the gate into the mountain. She screamed at me, how I was a monster, how I was little more than a vicious animal following orders. How could she possibly believe otherwise? She didn't know of course."

_I wish things could have been different._

Elijah looked up at Berlioz. He was silent, the thin wet streaks running down the side of Berlioz's face said it for him.

"I killed her at that gate, propped up against the thing she gave her life protecting. I had to drag her lifeless, broken AC away to enter. My Operator at the time faked Wynne's voice to trick them into opening the gates. They thought she'd won, that they were saved. You don't understand what despair looks like until you've seen it spread across the faces of thousands, cowering in the dark…"

_I was wrong._

"I don't know what was worse, actually doing it, or going back. I found out that in the time between Wynne's death and my return, Victor himself had spoken to the CEO of Leonemeccanica and smoothed the whole affair out. I'll tell you what greeted me, the monster, the animal, when I stepped onto the transporter ramp."

_Please stop._

"Cheering. Shouts of praise. Pats on the back. Everyone was so glad I had put an end to the rogue Raven Wynne D. Fanchon, who had murdered thousands of defenseless civilians. She was blamed for the deaths of all those people, as punishment for disobeying Leonemeccanica. Her family were cut off from Wynne's funds, any entitlement they might have had to compensation for her death in service to the Corporation."

The spite and bitterness was still in every word despite the now quiet tone he used. He sounded tired, exhausted both physically and emotionally. It was sapping Elijah of his own energy.

"Her family were left with nothing, believing that she had slaughtered thousands on a whim. They thought she was a monster, everyone did. I weighed the life of my sister against the lives of thousands, including Wynne's and…"

Berlioz had barely moved now, just staring at the ceiling, silently crying. Elijah almost couldn't bring himself to look at him. It was too much.

"I was told the Ninebreaker before Wynne, another Leonemeccanica Raven called Nidus, died defending his family after they were found to be selling Corporate secrets. He was killed by Wynne. That was how she claimed the title."

He paused, taking a deep breath, shuddering through the pain.

"I think that's what it's like being the Ninebreaker, to answer your question finally. That's what waits for you at the top. That's what you've been striving for. Your humanity stripped away piece by piece. Wynne knew what she was doing, I don't know what threat hung over her head, perhaps a similar one to me. I don't know. But that gun against your head never goes away, every second you can feel it there, you know it's still there. Their finger on the trigger ready to pull the moment you turn."

Elijah could feel the lump in his throat, a burning ball of anger and regret. Anger that this had all happened. Regret that he'd been chasing something that didn't exist. No one had ever told him what it was like, he just fabricated his own idea and convinced himself that was the goal. He wished he could go back to the dream, to go back to sleep and forget.

He croaked out, "I- I finally understand what y-you meant. When you said you wanted the Ninebreaker t-title to die with you."

"To prevent another monster being born. That's what we Ninebreakers have become. We used to be known as the strongest, most skilled fighters. Honourable men and women who could be counted on to do the right thing. But now? Now we are little more than animals on a leash. Monsters who corrupt others to become monsters themselves. I am the fifth Ninebreaker. I will be the last. "

"I guess maybe… Maybe I should find some other dream to chase then?" It was hard to keep the bitterness out of his words but he was finding it hard to not be angry with Berlioz for stealing his goal away from him. He should be thankful, thankful that he had the foreknowledge to avoid such a future but still…

Berlioz very slowly wiped his eyes using the edge of the cover, "I won't tell you what to do Elijah, and it's your life to live. But you know what will happen if you don't change course. You won't like what you find if you keep going."

There was a choice Elijah now had, an obvious one but still one that had to be considered. Did he abandon his dream? To cast aside the goals and hopes he had once held to try and achieve something else? Or did he pursue it regardless? To attain what he believed was right and real, no matter the cost.

Did it really matter at this point? What was the point? Elijah had just been flat out told to abandon his dream. That it was wrong to chase what he had wanted for so long. He didn't want to believe Berlioz. He didn't want to believe that was all that awaited him.

He looked up at Berlioz who was still staring at the ceiling, "You've given me a lot to think about. I want to say thank you for telling me your story."

"I don't need your thanks Elijah," he said with a weak shrug, "I just hope that it lets you make the right choice for you, whatever that may be."

Elijah stood up from the chair as Berlioz moved the mask back over his mouth, closing his eyes.

Turning around and exiting the room, Elijah didn't know what exactly he was leaving behind in that room. Was it really for the better? He truly didn't know what to do with the information he'd been given.

The walk back to his quarters felt like a million years. All the thoughts of Berlioz, the Ninebreakers and their horrific history. He wished he'd never heard it. He almost wished he could have gone on without that knowledge.

Once he was standing outside his door, he unlocked it and stepped inside, not saying a word. Sajjan was nowhere to be seen, a note on the table read, _The Cafeteria kindly delivered us some meals on the Governor's orders. I put yours in the fridge._ He would have appreciated the thought at any other time but now, he wasn't really hungry.

He took his jumpsuit off, letting it fall into a heap on the floor and crawled into bed.

He was tired. So tired.


	11. Little Victories

There hadn't been time to reheat the food, Elijah slowly shoveled the cold meat pie into his mouth trying to compensate for how tired he was. Only managing to grab four or less hours sleep, he was almost looking forward to the journey to the mission area, as he could try and grab the extra hours.

Sajjan had woken up slightly earlier than Elijah and had already eaten. He was stood in front of a full height mirror, making minor adjustments to the deep green turban on his head.

"Don't give yourself indigestion, that won't do you any favours during the mission."

The advice was likely just Sajjan trying to find something to talk about. They'd barely spoken to each other since seeing the Governor.

"Don't worry dude, I'll be fine." Elijah didn't want to be distant but it was hard to act normal. It had only been hours since speaking with Berlioz and those hours of poor sleep had done little take the weight off his mind.

He left the plate on the side, making a mental note to wash it and drop it off at the Cafeteria when they returned.

_If we return._

The moment the thought crossed his mind he dismissed it. But of course, as is the case, the more you try not to think about something, it becomes impossible not to think about it. Death was just part of the job. Sometimes, Ravens didn't come home. They didn't get a burial, they didn't get a farewell.

_Just like Wynne._ Left to rot, forgotten, hated. Elijah didn't know if he could live with guilt like that. An act as terrible as that would consume you, it would eat you hollow. It was entirely possible that without his sister, Berlioz would never had needed to sign that contract.

He would have died at that table and Rayleonard would have likely chosen the next best candidate from their program until they found someone they could use.

The pair left and began the walk to the Hangar. Sajjan cleared his throat, "How did the meeting with Berlioz go?"

_Of course you'd ask._

"Fine, he got to hear what we found, he didn't tell me more than we didn't get from Desmond."

The lie was obvious but Elijah literally didn't have the energy at this time to tell it convincingly. It wasn't a conversation he wanted to have.

"I won't make you talk Elijah, but it was the reason I didn't go with you. It was a conversation you needed to have alone with him. To make sure you knew what you wanted."

Sajjan had no idea, did he? He believed it would be a talk to make sure that Elijah was dead set on his goal and to confirm he had the drive. He thought he was helping.

"I appreciate the thought but I won't- I can't talk about it. It's… Difficult."

He got no reply, hopefully out of understanding. It wouldn't be like Sajjan to ignore him out of spite but these days could anything be counted on?

They carried on down corridors, elevators and through doors. Sajjan slightly ahead. At 5am, they were virtually alone as they walked. The silence was overbearing.

In the hangar, a transporter was idling by the opening out onto the runway, it's rear hatch open. Even from here it was easy to make out White Glint standing in the internal gantry with Havok behind it.

As they approached, a Hangar staff member ran up to them, "Havok and White Glint right?" He carried on before any confirmation was given, "You're in the transporter waiting with your ACs, once you're in and secure you'll be off."

"Thank you," said Sajjan before they crossed the Hangar deck. Despite the quiet inside the rest of the Ark, the Hangar was a hive of activity. Machines always needed maintenance, there were always shipments of ammunition and spare parts that needed unloading and breaking down.

There was never a moment to be wasted.

A short run up the ramp later and they were both inside the transporter hold. Elijah wordlessly made his way to Havok's gantry, working his way around White Glint's.

"Elijah?" He paused on the ladder to listen to Sajjan, "You'd say if something was wrong, wouldn't you? I wouldn't want you to think you couldn't talk, right?"

It was most likely that Sajjan had the best of intentions and just wanted to help but it still ticked him off.

"Dude I'm fine, I swear. I really would say something alright?" His grip on the ladder tightened, waiting for the imminent questionting.

But it never came.

Sajjan silently climbed the gantry and entererd White Glint. Guilt washed over him like a sickness. If he could kick himself he would have.

Finally climbing to the top of the gantry, he made his way along the narrow walkway and lowered himself into the Core of Havok. Once secured into his seat, he quickly went through the startup procedure.

Only moments later, Havok's head dropped down, sealing him in. A blinking com notification caught his attention and he accepted the channel.

"Alright Ravens, time to destination is roughly three to four hours so get comfortable."

"Confirmed, thank you pilot." Sajjan's voice came over the channel, sending another stab of guilt through him.

Surely it'd be fine, wouldn't it? Elijah slouched in the seat, shifting to one side, trying to get as comfortable as possible.

Whatever sleep he could get, would be appreciated.

Elijah stared at the main display, a system diagnostic now running its fourth loop. Trying to find something to pass the time was difficult, it wasn't like there was much to do but eat snacks or sleep in the cockpit.

The lack of communication from Sajjan wasn't helping either. He wished it was possible to just tell him about what Berlioz had talked about but given the fact that literally the only other person that knew his situation was him, he didn't think it'd be right to just give that information away.

Just being able to vent his thoughts would be enough. Having this maelstrom of noise running around in the back of his head made any silence deafening.

He wanted to talk about what to do next. To talk about the future, where to go what to believe. Elijah had such a clear picture of where he wanted to be. Now it was like someone had taken a blender to it.

None of it was right anymore. There was no sense to it. What was the point? The things he wanted? What he strived for?

The throne he believed Berlioz sat upon, the one he wanted for himself, was a throne of blood and death. There was no pride in it. No sense of achievement.

It was a dead, false throne.

Even Berlioz himself would give it away willingly if it weren't for the horrors that the next Ninebreaker would have to endure.

He picked a small bottle of water out of a slot in the side of his seat, popping the lid and downing half of it. Looking at the clock on his HUD, roughly three hours had passed since leaving the Ark, he couldn't see from where he was but the sun should have risen by now.

It was one of the great pleasures of living in the sky, you got to see so much of it. Floating above what would have been roughly Nebraska or Kansas before the Great Destruction, there wasn't much to see below on the ground. Just dust and miles of baked ground.

That's what a lot of the world had become, the firing of Orion, the years of warfare and the wild consumption of natural resources had caused significant desertification even in areas previously thought to be low risk. Going north you'd eventually encounter forests but they were receding every year.

How long would it be before t-

"Ravens, we are fifteen minutes to our destination. We will be landing and you will disembark in your ACs once we have come to a complete stop, please be ready to leave at that point."

Once Elijah's heart was no longer in his mouth he let out a sigh. He'd forgotten that he'd never actually closed the channel to the pilot.

"Thank you Pilot," Sajjan's voice now coming through the same channel. "We will be ready to leave by then."

He had to say something, spending this entire goddamn flight not speaking to each other was unacceptable and Elijah knew he had to be the one to say something.

He closed the joint channel to the pilot and opened a separate one to Sajjan.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Of course I am friend, how are you?"

_This is fucking stupid._ Elijah wanted to cringe himself into oblivion at this exchange but he went with it regardless. "I'm fine, I mean… No I'm sorry. I wish… I wish I coul-"

"Elijah, there is no need to be sorry is there? I don't know and I don't need to know what you and Berlioz discussed. It was important for you, knowing your goals, to speak to someone who has achieved them. So that you can learn from their experiences."

Sajjan was clearly somewhat lost when it came to trying to talk around this subject as he'd just repeated almost exactly what he'd said back on the Ark.

He didn't blame him, it wasn't like he had much to go on. Sajjan would want to help anyway he could but this wasn't something he could just talk about. Berlioz told him everything on good faith, he trusted him.

Elijah couldn't betray that trust.

Sajjan had to stay in the dark for now.

"I appreciate that, I really do," Elijah said through a heavy sigh, "I think… I think it's given me a lot to consider. Things I should deal with in my own time. But thank you."

He couldn't see Sajjan's face but he could imagine that typical grin across his face.

"It is my pleasure Elijah."

The topic had to change before another silence settled. "Do you think we'll need a second shot at Motherwill?"

Elijah was immediately kicking himself as the connotation of what he said instantly hit him.

"Elijah, I think a mission like this is best taken on with the intention of _surviving_ it, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah of course, but, I mean we have to consider it don't we?"

There would be a time in the far future when he could finally stop digging such terrific holes for himself.

"I understand your thought process and of course, should a second attempt be required I will step up to the task. But…"

This was a loaded but.

"I have absolute faith in you, as such, there will be no need for myself or White Glint to face Motherwill."

It was always nice to know that there was somebody out there who did believe in him.

"Thanks. I am scared though, I mean, this is a hell of a thing to take on. It's not every day that you get to take down a secret corporate super weapon."

"No that is certainly true. This is a mission that falls outside the usual contracts given to us."

"I think falling outside the usual is putting it lightly, it's not like anyone else is ever going to get this mission are they?" Elijah paused for a second, "At least I really hope no one else does, I'd like to have left this world by the time a Spirit of Motherwill MkII starts wandering around."

The thought of another weapon on the same scale being built was terrifyingly realistic. The power of Motherwill had been effectively shown to the entire world, Elijah wouldn't be surprised if departments of many other Corporations weren't hard at work developing their own super weapons.

Perhaps not identical to Motherwill, but the something along the lines of the same concept. Able to support auxiliary forces, overwhelming direct or indirect firepower and well armoured. Motherwill had another obvious yet unstated advantage, it was extremely intimidating. Its size alone… The blueprints had its height topping out at roughly six hundred meters tall and its runways from end to end were nearly two and a half kilometers long.

An AC, standing around ten meters tall, was literally an insect compared to Motherwill. It could step on him and never even know.

The com light blinked on, Elijah reactively opened the channel.

"We're beginning our descent now."

Literally as the pilot said this, Elijah could feel his insides rise rather uncomfortably in response to the transporter pitching downwards. "Alright, thanks for the smooth trip."

The channel went dead, clearly they weren't the chatty type. He went back to the channel with Sajjan, "Hey, wanna make a bet?"

He should have expected the sigh that came back at him.

"I do not gamble Elijah, you know this."

"Oh shush you know I'm kidding. But seriously, how long to take Motherwill down? Five minutes? Ten?"

There was only the briefest of pauses before a very slight chuckle came back at him, followed by, "Now now Elijah, just how much ammunition can Havok carry? I don't think you could keep firing for that long in the first place so you'd better make it quick now shouldn't you?"

Elijah genuinely laughed at that, something he really needed at this time. He was an idiot, he knew it but sometimes it was hard to see around the mess in your head. Sajjan was a man who maybe couldn't always clear the mess, but make wading through it easier for you.

Turning on Havok's altimeter, Elijah was surprised at how low they were. "Hey d-"

He barely managed to start speaking when everything lurched forwards. The shock of landing was dampened by the gantry and Havok itself but it was still more than noticeable. It was likely that they were still going at some speed after dropping so fast so they'd have to bleed speed on the runway.

Eventually the rumbling and bumping came to an end. Almost on cue, the com light blinked on, Elijah flicking open the channel instantly. "Alright Ravens," the voice of the pilot coming through, "The rear hatch will be open momentarily, detach from the transporter gantry and head to your designated point in the base. It'll be marked on your HUD. Good luck Ravens."

Without a chance to even acknowledge the message, the channel cut dead.

"Uhhhhh ok then." He dismissed the rather rude pilot's parting message and set Havok to run off its generator, the gantry connections falling away.

White Glint walked forwards, already free of its gantry. "Hey Elijah, I've got to head to the mission control, I'll be with the team directing this mission and your Operator so don't worry."

_Wait what?_ "Hold on, are you saying you're my Operator?"

If that really was the case it was certainly unorthodox at best, flat out illegal at worst. Sajjan wasn't qualified to be a Raven's Operator, it was entirely different to being in the AC.

"No Elijah don't be silly, I will simply be observing but I will have access to speak to you via the same com channel."

Of course, that made an awful lot more sense. "Oh fair enough, here's hoping you get to stay there, right?"

Laughter came back at him, "Please Elijah, you needn't worry so much. There will be no need for myself and White Glint to step in."

No need to step in. Something about Sajjan's faith in him felt misplaced. It was too much trust. White Glint walked down the transporter ramp in only a couple of steps and headed left.

Havok stepped out of the gantry and had to carefully step through the one that had held White Glint to avoid damaging it. It was somewhat of a design oversight. A transporter typically had three gantry racks for holding ACs, it wasn't particularly easy for the second or third AC to leave.

Once off the ramp, Elijah looked left, seeing White Glint crouched far down on one knee powered down. The building next to it wasn't unlike almost every other one he could see. Around the extremely large runway that Havok now stood on, were clumps of hastily put together prefab buildings and stacks of crates.

Men and women moving from building to building and soldiers with armour wearing the BFF logo on their chest and shoulders. Most of the buildings were emblazoned with the same image.

On Havok's HUD, an objective notification blinked up to his right, pointing towards a large gantry that stood a little distance from the main complex. Even from here it was easy to recognize what was setup in the gantry, the numerous booster nozzles giving it away instantly. A VOB system.

Elijah began moving forwards, not engaging Havok's boosters. While walking would take a little longer, it seemed like even lighting his boosters here could blow several of these buildings over when he passed them by. Flying over them was an option but he wasn't sure if there was some regulation regarding flight over corporate airspace.

It was strange, as he passed people, he could see them stop and stare. Several talking to each other, he obviously had no idea what they were saying even if he activated his external microphones, they would be too quiet to pick up.

He had to wonder if it was because they knew what he was going to do or if it was something more mundane. Perhaps they haven't had a chance to see an AC this close? It wasn't difficult to imagine that being the case. Typically the only people who regularly saw an AC this close were Ravens and the Ark Hangar staff. Virtually no one else had any need to be that close to them, you could spend months or even years on the Ark and never actually come into contact with one.

He focused on just walking ahead without stepping on anything, being aware of your surroundings in an AC could be difficult at times, like trying to walk through a room filled with tiny model soldiers without breaking any of them but seeing your feet is nearly impossible.

Fortunately, he made his way through and once Havok was only a short distance from the VOB's gantry, the com light blinked on.

He opened the channel.

"Havok? This is your Operator. Can you hear me?"

"Yeah the connection is fine, everything good on your end?"

Asking seemed reasonable considering this wasn't the usual situation. The Operator for this mission was actually on site, not back at the Ark as this was a particularly high risk mission. If BFF had fudged the Operator's setup then there could be serious problems later down the line.

Elijah didn't want to be suddenly cut off from his support line because someone didn't plug something in properly.

Another voice came over the channel, "Hello Elijah, this is Jonas Amsel. We spoke yesterday in the Governor's Office?"

After trawling his memory in a split second for the face to go with the name, Elijah remembered the small man who had announced himself as Motherwill's creator.

"Ahh Mr. Amsel! I didn't think you'd be here?" Sticking with formality for now seemed appropriate considering he barely knew the person.

"I helped bring this thing to life, it's only fitting I should be here for its destruction after all the harm it has caused."

"Well having an expert around wouldn't hurt I guess." Elijah saw a soldier with a rifle slung over his shoulder waving both arms at him.

Elijah brought Havok to a stop and opened a direct channel to the soldier, "What's up?"

An unexpectedly deep voice came back at him, "I'm informed that the VOB is ready for mounting, please stand in the gantry so we can begin the attachment procedure."

Immediately the channel closed and the soldier walked away.

"Holy shit what is it with people dropping channels like its no big deal, geeze come on guys." He knew that time was precious and all but the rate at which people effectively just dropped the line on him was getting ridiculous.

Now standing next to the gantry supporting the VOB unit, it was rather nerve wracking to imagine it attached to the back of Havok. It was nearly as long as Havok was tall, bulky and covered in pipes and wiring. It certainly didn't look like the typical pristine and polished product that would roll off a BFF assembly line but it was really their only chance at striking Motherwill.

Their hopes and aspirations resting on a single AC with an untested, oversized rocket booster being effectively fired towards the enemy at supersonic speeds.

_I hope this thing doesn't kill me before Motherwill does._

#####

Elijah didn't think it before, but after only half an hour of listening to dull clunks, bangs and the hiss of seals being made he really wanted out of the AC. At least to escape the incessant noise.

During this time, Havok had been standing powered down in the modified gantry, feet locked into place on movable platforms. These platforms were part of a custom catapult system similar to what would normally be used to launch fighter jets from aircraft carriers. This one however was considerably more powerful, needing to be able to assist an AC with VOB in getting airborne.

He needed to do something to distract him before he lost his mind. He opened a channel to Mission Control.

"Operator, can we do a rundown of the mission plan before we go ahead with this?"

A brief silence before, "One second, Havok."

Elijah took a swig from his water bottle, although an actual meal would be appreciated, he couldn't remember the last proper meal he'd sat down to eat in nearly a week.

The channel crackled slightly, "Alright, first you are to take off from the VOB launch pad. Then, using the VOB, you will have roughly one minute close to striking distance from Motherwill. The VOB's fuel cell pairs only last for twenty seconds and you can only have three pairs total so the moment the third pair is jettisoned you will disengage from the VOB unit. Then you are to target Motherwill's main guns until they are disabled."

Didn't seem particularly complicated but that didn't mean it wouldn't be difficult. An awful lot of this was banking on the VOB working as intended.

"Are there any secondary objectives?" It was worth asking at this point.

There was a second pause before, "Not technically, only in the event that you are able to actually bring Motherwill down completely then you will receive a bonus for its destruction."

_A bonus eh?_ Elijah could only imagine the reward for the destruction of Motherwill. It was considered somewhat poor form for a Corporation to explicitly outline how much secondary objectives were worth. The idea was that they were to be done entirely on the volition of the Raven.

Often, secondary objectives would allow the main objective to be completely more easily or at least assist the Corporation in a more indirect fashion.

"Alright, thanks. Do we have an estimate for the launch?" Waiting any longer here was not a thought he wanted to entertain. At least on in and outbound flights he could sleep.

This time, Jonas' voice came over the channel, "We are performing the last pre-fight checks on the VOB system. There should only be a few minutes before everything is ready. Motherwill is inside the launch window so the moment we are set, you will launch immediately."

"Shit, no pressure then."

He closed his end of the channel. Only minutes till launch, the niggling doubts in the back of his head only grew louder.

_Can you do it?_

_Will you survive?_

_Are you good enough?_

_Is there any point?_

The com light blinking snapped him out of it. He opened the channel again.

"You've got a relayed call from the Ark, somebody wishes to speak to you." It was Sajjan this time.

"Oh really? Put it through."

He was about to ask who was calling when, "Yo Elijah! How's things?"

"Wait, Tom?"

"Yeah! Sajjan told me you had a real nasty mission about to go down so I figured I'd say give it your best and give them hell!"

Elijah found himself smiling, the fact that Tom would be willing to go to the trouble of having a call relayed directly to him, which wasn't exactly easy, was a welcome reminder that he wasn't on his own for this thing.

He had Sajjan and Tom watching over him, there was no way he could let them down.

"Thanks man, I really appreciate that." He wished there was more he could say.

"Nah don't worry about it, now I gotta go, there some racket going on outside so I need to go yell at someone. Break a leg!"

The relayed call ended and Elijah slumped back into the seat. He didn't particularly want to be in this seat. It wasn't like he wanted this responsibility on his shoulders. But it was there, it wasn't going to just go away.

"Elijah?" Sajjan speaking again, "Jonas tells me that the VOB is ready for launch, please set Havok to run off internal power as the gantry will be moved away shortly."

"Thanks man, will do."

He closed the channel and immediately began to go through the routine motion of disengaging Havok from the gantry. To his right, a secondary monitor rebooted, the readout of non-critical information replaced by what looked like an image of the VOB unit with several charts and graphs slowly changing, rising and falling.

Obviously this was something he was going to have keep an eye on during the VOB's burn in. While a single minute didn't seem like a long time, there were plenty of things that could go wrong in sixty seconds.

As the powerlines connecting Havok to the gantry fell away and its generator flared to life, a klaxon sounded and all the people who had been working around him quickly moved away to a safer distance.

Of course if the VOB exploded right there and then on the launch pad, it was unlikely that they could get far enough away in the short time they had.

The panel displaying the VOB's information blinked a warning at him.

_[VOB Gantry Disengaging, Weight Compensation Required]_

Almost immediately Havok was virtually pulled over as the framework holding the VOB in place came loose, meaning the only thing supporting it was Havok. Elijah pushed his AC's center of gravity forwards as best he could with his feet still secured in the catapult.

Once he'd found a nice balance, the com light blinked on. The Operator coming through now. "Give the word and the catapult will fire, from then on, it's up to you Raven."

This was it. Was there even a chance to turn back now? Was the point of no return now or had it already gone by?

No time to dwell on it now.

_Three_

_Two_

_One_

"Do it."

There was a shudder through Havok as the catapult tension strained against the weight of its payload.

"Catapult firing! Alright Raven, leave this channel open, you just need to focus on getting to Motherwill."

He didn't bother answering, instead lighting Havok's boosters ready to take to the air. Very slowly at first, he began creeping forwards, but within seconds he was speeding down the very short launch track.

The end of the track lined up with the edge of the plateau, meaning that if he couldn't get airborne by the end of the catapult track, he was in for a nasty drop.

He maxed out Havok's throttle, the boosters burning as hard as they could. The catapult restraints holding his feet to the platforms broke away and Havok very gently sailed over the edge.

He let out the breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding in. Suddenly chatter came over the com channel he'd left open.

"Havok is airborne, are we ready? Alright everyone, keep an eye on readings. VOB ignition in three… two…"

_Wait... No... Hold on!_

"One… Burn!"

What happened next was what Elijah could only describe as being hit by a building. If he wasn't still breathing, which was almost impossible due to the G-force, the explosion he had heard behind him would have had him convinced that the VOB had gone off like a bomb.

Everything was shaking, everything was rattling, nothing made any sense whatsoever but he had to hold his controls steady regardless or else he'd fly straight into the ground.

He did his best to listen to the com channel.

"Output is stable! Speed is still climbing! Appro-"

Before he caught the end of the sentence there was a violent shudder through Havok. He glanced at the speedometer, trying to focus on the blurred number.

From the brief glance, he was passing thirteen hundred kilometers per hour, fourteen hundred, fifteen hundred, climbing higher and higher steadily. The sound barrier was long behind him, he cleared White Glint's test record of eighteen hundred kilometers per hour and continued to accelerate.

In less than fifteen seconds he had climbed from just short of two hundred kilometers per hour to roughly twenty one hundred. It was safe to say that he felt like his face was going to come off from the G-force.

The Operator was still speaking. "-st cell dump coming up! Speed has stabilized, Havok is now crusing towards target. Cell dump… Now!"

There was a _thunk_ audible over the roar of the VOB.

On the VOB's status screen, one of the three squares representing the fuel cells went dim.

Twenty seconds down, forty to go.

At this point, Motherwill was now clearly visible ahead of him. Looking at it from the blueprints, it was hard to imagine its actual scale in relation to the world. Even the lowest part of Motherwill's body was able to clear buildings, those it couldn't were simply smashed through.

The shuddering and blurry image slowly filling his display was enough to make him want to turn around already.

Over the com channel, he could hear the usual chatter, people shouting status reports, any subtle variations cropping up in the VOB, even the smallest changes in booster output. When travelling at such ridiculous speeds, a tiny error could rapidly spiral out of control.

He glanced at the VOB monitor, the second fuel cell indicator was blinking, showing it was almost ready to drop. He prayed that nothing went wrong.

"Second cell almost dry! One point nine percent drop in output, well inside safe boundary! Cell dump… Now!"

Another thunk as the pair of cells fell away. Elijah loosened his grip slightly on the controls.

_Thank God everything s-_

"Booster seven's fuel line pressure just spiked three hundred percent! The line won'-"

There was an almighty bang behind him, everything began slewing to one side. Returning to a white knuckle grip on the controls as he fought to line Havok back up with its flight path.

"Jesus Christ guys what the fuck happened?!" If there was ever a time to panic, it was now.

The Operator came back, the channel now beginning to suffer from light static, "You lost a booster! The entire thing blew itself off when a fuel line jammed, you'll need to compensate for it and keep flying straight!"

He glanced down at the VOB panel, sure enough, it was highlighting a second of the VOB on the right hand side. Below it were a reel of warnings.

_[WARNING, Fire in VOB]_

_[WARNING, Booster 7 Failure]_

_[WARNING, Stabiliser Failure]_

_[WARNING, Flight Control Failure]_

Not only had he lost a booster, but he'd lost a lot of the automatic systems that assisted him with controlling the VOB in flight. This meant that this approach was going to be far more hands on than he wanted.

"W-w-what the fuck do I do n-now?!" The shaking of Havok gave a convenient excuse for covering the fear in his voice. He couldn't lie, he was genuinely terrified right now. Death could be literally seconds away.

He had to strain to hear his Operator over the sound of the VOB burning behind him, the shaking and rattling of Havok, the background shouting of the Mission Control staff, "Just hold course Raven, you've got less than twenty seconds left but we can't dump the last cell anymore, the system has locked up! You're gonna have to purge the VOB manually once you are in range of Motherwill!"

_Manually purge?!_ He'd have to judge, using his own senses, when to dump a critically damaged booster pack that was pushing him through the air at over two thousand kilometers per hour to land on a thin platform hanging several hundred meters in the air with only seconds to decide?

Shit.

"Fine! I make no promises but let's give it a shot!" This was ridiculous, there was no way he could pull this off, he'd undershoot and mash into the main body of Motherwill, misjudge the height of the runway and cleave Havok in half or he'd overshoot and get pasted by Motherwill's missile system and AA guns.

Actually landing Havok on the deck he was aiming for would be little short of a miracle. What could he do but give his best? If you die giving your one hundred percent, surely no one could ask more of you? Could they?

Something Sajjan told him years ago, roughly around the same time he moved in with him, flashed through his head.

_"I know many see Ravens as the harbingers of war and death. We are often the last thing many on the battlefield see. Ravens are summoned when a conflict reaches a point where normal soliders and war machines are no longer enough. I am fully aware that to the majority, we are to be feared and hated. Murderers who kill for the money that slips through the Corporation's fingers, hungry scavengers that feed on the carrion left by their wars._

_But I think there is a chance, that one day, Ravens will help the world take a step forward. When we're ready, we will put our lives on the line not for a price, but for people. Where our one hundred percent falls short and we give another ten percent, so that somebody else has a chance to live."_

He gritted his teeth, trying his best to still his shaking hands. People will always ask more of you. There are times when one hundred percent won't save someone's life, you've gotta give more than you have. Give that one hundred and ten percent.

He pushed Havok higher, burning its boosters as hard as possible to counter act the force from the VOB. Motherwill filled his view, the beginnings of incoming tracer fire could be seen scattering around, failing to track such a fast moving target.

He recovered the altitude lost due to the reduced VOB output, he had no way of telling if he was perfectly back on the original flight path but there was no time to fret.

"Raven! Get ready!"

The Operator didn't need to tell him, his fist was hovering over the large button on the VOB console marked 'PURGE'.

_Three, Two, One… NOW!_

"Purging!"

He hit the button as hard as he could before throwing the free hand back to its control column as fast as possible. However the jerk from grabbing the controls so fast spun Havok around so he was now staring at the disintegrating VOB that had been hooked onto Havok only moments earlier.

It was actually rather unsettling to realise what had been going on. The VOB had twisted in the air enough that he could see nearly half of it was blackened and burnt from the fire that had been spewing out of the side. The rough tear in that side where the booster once sat was still streaming a black cloud shot through with an orange glow from the fires still burning. He only got that split second to see as the VOB came apart in an instant, breaking up in flight.

The best way to describe it would be like a glass figure hit with a sledgehammer, it shattered into a million pieces that hung in the air long enough for him to blink before the last two fuel cells detonated, scattering those pieces far and wide. The force was enough to give Havok the last kick it needed to clear the lip of Motherwill's flight deck and land smoothly on its surface.

As much as he had successfully touched down, he now had to do something about the incredible momentum that Havok had built up from the VOB. Bleeding this much kinetic energy was not going to be an easy task.

Immediately he dug Havok's heels into the runway surface, chewing it up as the material came apart with virtually no effort whatsoever. In the same motion, Elijah brought Havok's throttle to full reverse. The strain of the deceleration cutting the harness into his chest, to the point where he was actually concerned the material might give way.

In this situation, if he'd had the entire two thousand four hundred meter length of Motherwill from one end to the other to slow down, he could stop in time. Instead he had not even half of that.

It wasn't even Motherwill's central super structure that was the immediate problem, it was the Gibbon MT that had just strolled into his path, having only enough time to notice him and freeze in shock.

He was still doing roughly over one thousand kilometers per hour when he collided with the Gibbon and the pair of them had very different outcomes from this event.

Havok lost its balance, tumbling to the ground still sliding along with the remaining momentum. During the crash to the ground, its right auxiliary missile launcher broke away from its mounting, scattering along the runway surface before sailing off the edge and disappearing.

Elijah's journey to Motherwill came to an abrupt halt when he slid into the superstructure, the jarring halt shaking him to his core.

From his position now, he could see what exactly became of the poor machine that he'd just hit. Although it was more like he'd plowed through it. The MT was in pieces, its torso split open, both legs and an arm had come loose, only the leg had remained on the deck.

What was left of the pilot was not to be described in detail.

Struggling to find his feet, Elijah was suddenly very aware of the people shouting at him over the com channel.

"Elijah?! Elijah! You need to move!"

"Raven get up! You can't si-"

He already had Havok up and sliding away. The spot he'd been in seconds before had just exploded as Motherwill's CIWS fired on him, it's poor tracking once again providing the necessary time for evasive maneuvers.

A couple of things became apparent to him now that he was upright. The first was the suspicious lack of any aircraft, for a support platform dedicated to the rearm and refueling of attack aircraft, not a single one was to be seen on the deck or in the local airspace.

Second, Motherwill's main guns were currently rotating, slowly grinding their way towards the direction he'd just come from.

The bottom fell out of his stomach.

_They're going to fire on the VOB launch pad!_

Before he could do anything about that, on the super structure ahead of him, a Behemoth lumbered forwards so that its upper half was now visible, the muzzle of its bazooka peeking around its shield.

At the same time, on both flanks, Gibbons leapt up from the lower runways, using their integrated boosters to assist them in the jump. They weren't nearly as mobile as an AC, but they were able to catch inexperienced Ravens off guard if they got the drop on them.

Now with the Behemoth, at least six Gibbons and Motherwill's point defenses all aimed directly at him, the fact he was still standing was the oddity here.

His com channel blasted static for a second, causing him to flinch at the noise before an unfamiliar voice came through to him.

"Raven, my name is Arthur Russo. I am the Commanding Officer of the Spirit of Motherwill."

Elijah froze. Why did the enemy have access to his communication channel? He never got a com request, he never allowed a second channel. Somehow, they've flat out overridden his connection to Mission Control and simply piped their own channel through.

"It has been suggested to me, against my own judgement, to offer you a chance to fight for the winning side. I understand you're a Raven, so I can promise you will be suitably rewarded for your services as is the custom."

Bile crept up his throat at the thought. _Money? How much could they possibly offer? What amount could sway him?_

He gritted his teeth. Could Sajjan and everyone else still hear him? Would they know?

"How much?"

"An amount suitable to the task, I think you'll find. Global Armaments are offering fifteen million upfront, with a further thirty million upon our victory in this war."

If Elijah's jaw hit could have hit the ground harder… _F-forty five million credits? That's… That's…_

That would be enough to live in relative comfort for years, possibly the rest of his life if he invested in safe markets. Forty five million was a frankly absurd amount of money, it was obvious that GA saw the Ravens as a considerable threat. Any that could be coerced onto their side were valuable.

His hands on the controls were shaking. Why was he considering this? Was it not obvious that GA were in the wrong here? Had they not murdered innocent people? Didn't that make them the bad guys?

_…the wholesale slaughter of thirty thousand unregistered refugees…_

Did that make him the enemy as well? The man who cut down thousands of innocent lives with his own hands?

Can you define who is good and evil just by those they kill?

Did he still aspire to that blood soaked throne? Could he still believe that the Ninebreakers were honourable men and women who could be counted on to do the right thing?

Or would it be better to abandon that ideal, to fight for himself?

If he did that, there was no way he could face Sajjan, or Tom or anyone else really. There would be no place for him on the Ark. GA had declared war on and attacked the Ravens. He couldn't turn his back on them.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll have to pas-"

"Good, annihilate him."

_What?!_

He didn't think, he just did. Throwing Havok sideways, he narrowly avoided the bazooka shell from the Behemoth. Machine gun rounds from the Gibbons scattered wide, some striking him but all were glancing hits, none striking anything vulnerable.

The Gibbons could be dealt with whenever, they weren't the real threat here. Motherwill's point defenses were dangerous but could be avoided if he focused on them due to their rather poor tracking. It was the addition of the Behemoth that made this situation unmanageable, particularly because a single hit from it could potentially cripple him.

Taking out all of Motherwill's close in weapon systems would take too long, destroying the Behemoth was really the only logical choice.

As the sideways dash began to slow, Elijah kicked off from the ground, firing Havok's boosters, climbing into the air.

There wasn't enough space behind it to land and attack, meaning an attack from above was in order. The articulation of the Behemoth's left arm was limited by the size of its shield, it couldn't lift it over its own head.

While flying above his target wasn't a difficult task alone, the position he'd need to take could open him up to fire from other MTs on Motherwill as well as other point defense positions. Not to mention if he flew too high, the safety on Motherwill's missile system would disengage. There was literally no way he could evade that much incoming fire.

Throttle control would be paramount.

Shifting Havok's weight forwards, he flared the boosters, pushing the throttle higher, another stream of point defense fire streaked towards him, passing through the space he'd occupied roughly a second beforehand.

He did need to jink to the left after the Behemoth fired again, its shell whistling by.

He couldn't risk his missile's failing to track correctly due to the number of potential targets in the area, he'd do this with his machine guns. Even attacking from above, it would have to be focused fire, try and strike the same spot as many times as possible to cut through its armour. At the end of the day even if he couldn't actually kill it, rendering it blind by destroying its head would be good enough.

Only a couple of seconds later, he was hovering above the Behemoth, which was slowly attempting to adjust its position, unable to protect itself properly.

Both crosshairs blinked red, overlapping each other. There was no time to hesitate, a moment too late and he'd be swatted out of the air by Motherwill's defenses.

Squeezing both triggers, he fought to keep his aim straight as both weapons kicked back, shells spewing forth in a torrent from their barrels. The Behemoth disappeared in a cloud of explosions, Elijah now unable to tell if he was actually doing anything to it.

He didn't have the time to check, he'd sat in one spot too long. Flicking his FCS back to his missiles, Elijah blindly fired off six warheads while killing his boosters, dropping like a rock.

The plan worked. He'd been banking that Motherwill's point defense was designed to prioritise recognized missiles over other threats, true to form, the few turrets he could see turned away from Havok, now tracking the missiles instead.

He flared his thrusters, shifting himself slightly to the left so that he didn't come crashing down on the Behemoth and lose his balance.

The second he touched down, he looked right, just in case the Behemoth was still able to retaliate. Thankfully, the MT was sitting idle, smoke billowing from the mess that used to support its head. He wasn't entirely sure if he'd actually managed to completely gut it but for now it was no longer a threat.

In the time it took for him to land and check the Behemoth, the CIWS had destroyed the missiles he fired earlier and was now beginning to track back towards him.

He kicked off from the superstructure, taking to the air again.

More Gibbons had begun to crowd on the runway, some leaping up from the other decks, some drifting over from the other side of the superstructure. This was starting to get slightly out of hand. He could ignore for the most part a handful of them, but this many was an issue he'd have to deal with.

From his position in the air, he had a good line of sight. Havok's FCS automatically compensated for independent aiming between his two machine guns, meaning that he could fire down on two different targets at once without a dip in performance.

Elijah used this to the best of his ability to try and thin the Gibbon numbers, firing down in broad sweeping patterns, only a few high power shells needed to bring one down. He didn't need focused fire like for the Behemoth.

He pushed Havok repeatedly left and right, constantly adjusting his altitude at the same time to throw off both the Gibbon's return fire and the point defense's poor effort to take him out.

In only seconds the enemy's number had halved.

However in that moment, he remembered.

The gun closest to him had almost completed its rotation towards the VOB site. If that fired, it wouldn't surprise him if the entire base was flattened by the barrage.

He wanted a better firing position, firing down from above onto the guns would allow for the chance to hit the ammunition racks underneath.

There was the threat of the missile system but at this rate he had to risk it.

Pushing the throttle, Havok climbed, well past the point he reached to attack the Behemoth.

As if reading his mind, the com channel crackled to life, "Raven! I hate to be unprofessional but if you don't get a move on Motherwill is going to kill us all! Destroy those guns!"

"I'm working on it!" There wasn't really any time to put thought into his plan of action, he just started shooting.

Both crosshairs over the gun, no need to aim as the target was so large. It was just a case of keeping the triggers down as long as possible.

It didn't take long before he got results. The framework holding the guns in place came apart under the barrage of fire. Elijah peeled away a salvo of AS missiles from his auxiliary launchers, the time between launch and impact was too short for the CIWS to take them out.

The warheads weaved between the support structure of the guns, slamming into the unarmoured base.

The effect was immediate, actually faster than Elijah had anticipated. Havok was blasted backwards through the air, losing stability and crashing down onto a lower runway. The shock was enough to dislodge the hastily mounted VOB display, the small unit briefly flailing about in the fall before smashing itself to pieces against the inside of the cockpit, nearly smacking him in the head.

Looking up at the column of smoke now billowing up from where the gun system once was, he could now, from where he was, only see glowing orange and two barrel ends pointing skyward.

The rumbles that were still felt now likely meant that internal damage was ongoing, taking out that second gun could be enough to bring Motherwill down for good.

_One down, two t-_

As he pushed Havok to its feet, he was caught by fire from above slamming into Havok's back.

He needed to move, fast. If he lost the use of his primary boosters then his mobility would be reduced to a point where dodging wasn't possible.

Pushing Havok's throttle to max, he burnt straight up, landing on the topmost deck. This time on the other side of Motherwill.

As he landed, something caught his attention. One of the previously closed pods that were dotted around the edge of Motherwill's runways popped open, its triangular lids flipping up and over like a bizzare geometric flower.

As this happened, the pod several meters down from it did the same, then the next and the next.

"Uhhhh, Jonas, what's Motherwill doing?" Elijah asked, somewhat concerned.

There was a second before the reply came back, "I- I don't know, Motherwill's missile bays are opening but it can't hit you while you're on the deck? The safety preve- Ahhhh!"

Elijah flinched as the scientist effectively filled the cockpit with his yell, "What?! What is it?"

"Elijah you need to move! They've overridden Motherwill's safety! Her missile pods are active!"

_Ohhh shhhhiiiittttt_

Not good wouldn't cut it here. This was downright catastrophic. Almost on cue, the pods closest to him spewed forth a torrent of tiny missiles, their white smoke trails carving lines across the clear sky.

If he was going to dodge these missiles and attack the gun, only something drastic would cut it. Elijah engaged Havok's OB unit, the whine behind him building.

_Come on come on come on COME ON COME ON!_

The second the charge was built he pressed the button on his controls. However, unlike the race with Sajjan, he immediately released it, resulting in a split second boost that fired him forwards. In the same motion, he fired his shoulder thrusters in a clockwise fashion, spinning him one hundred and eighty degrees around so he was now sliding backwards, watching the missiles slamming into the runway.

However without further input he'd come grinding to a halt, pushing Havok's throttle in reverse, he lifted away from the runway, missiles still streaming in.

Elijah made the mistake of looking to the otherside of Motherwill to see swarms of missiles launching from innumerable pods.

There was no time to think, no time to consider. With his AS launchers still active, he squeezed the triggers, warheads flying forwards without guidance, blowing the gun's scaffolding apart, the barrels crashing down.

Moments later the gun exploded just the same as the last, but now being further away, he was only buffeted by the blast and not knocked out of the air.

The gun barrels were blow slightly upwards before they came back down, breaking into Motherwill's interior.

As Elijah touched down, he could feel the rumbling from deep inside Motherwill's body, fire and smoke continued to pour out of the two wrecked gun systems.

Seconds later, the colossal legs that had been carrying them along came to a grinding halt, losing their strength as the massive body of Motherwill slammed down into the sand and dirt below it.

"Raven, get the hell out of there! Move!"

Elijah didn't need telling twice, the runway wing he was standing on was severed from Motherwill's body by an explosion that blew out the side of the superstructure. More eruptions blasted out, fire spewing forth as the machine died from the inside out.

The charge in his OB unit hadn't depleted entirely, meaning he could still use what was left to boost away.

He pressed the OB button, keeping it down as he flew away. Praying that Motherwill didn't become an enormous fireball that would consume him in an instant.

In the seconds he had to think, while hurtling away, it suddenly hit him.

He'd won.

He'd actually done it. Motherwill was no more, there was no way it could recover and even if it could, both of its cannons had been completely destroyed. It could no longer support any form of armed force.

Killing Havok's OB, he slowly dropped down into the sand, coming to a standstill. Turning around, the mammoth frame of the broken Motherwill filled his view. All of the 'wings' that were its runways had sagged into the sand, giving it a strange, skirt like appearance. Fire was still billowing out along with thick columns of smoke towering thousands of meters in the air.

Ash from the fires was already beginning to fall. He could hear the cheering and shouting from Mission Control through the com channel.

Sajjan in particular was certainly audible over the crowd, "He did it! He did it! Did you see him!? Oh my gosh he did it!"

Elijah wanted to laugh, the sudden stress of it all bleeding away.

"Operator, you there? I think I have a ticket home to call in."


	12. We Always Think There Is Going To Be More Time...

Elijah had allowed Havok to settle into an idle position a few kilometers away from the fallen Motherwill. Standing on a large open plain of sunbaked sand, a more suitable location for a transporter pickup compared to the almost rolling dunes that Motherwill had been striding across.

Said transporter was still inbound, having taken a longer route to reach him due to the risk of still active MTs around Motherwill. As much as the great machine was down and out, it was entirely possible that several MTs could still be active. Risking the loss of a transporter because of a small oversight like that was not on the table.

Inside the cockpit, he had the climate control cranked to the coldest setting possible. He hadn't been aware of it during the fight, but now having had a moment to actually sit still for longer than five seconds he had realized just how absolutely sweltering it was. The air was thick, almost like trying to breath in soup. Not to mention the fact that his jumpsuit was clinging rather horribly to virtually every inch of his skin from sweat.

Uncomfortable was a mild way of putting it. But for the discomfort, the payoff for the effort was incomparable. They had made their first move against GA, a move that could have spectacularly failed. Instead they had been rewarded with a flawless victory.

As hard as GA could hit, they had shown they could hit back just as hard. If GA wanted a war, they were going to get one. He didn't know what their endgame was, what the result they desired was. If massacring people not involved in the direct fighting like those who died at Exavil and on the Ark is their way of doing things they had to be stopped.

The com light blinked, bringing him out of the train of thought. He flicked the channel open, "Raven, we are coming in from heading two six seven, line up for a rolling pickup."

"Understood, I'll message when I'm onboard." The channel clicked dead and Elijah panned his head around, looking for the supposedly descending transporter. A rolling pick up wasn't uncommon for high-profile missions, where stealth was a non-issue. While the mission was underway, the original transporter that performed the insertion drop would orbit the mission area at a high altitude until ordered by the operator to pick up the Raven or Ravens. They would then dive and bleed off the excess speed from the dive before flying at a relatively low altitude while the Ravens lined their AC up behind them. Then, the Raven would fly up and land inside the rear of the transporter before burning hard and leaving at maximum speed.

He turned Havok to line up with the same heading, lighting Havok's boosters to start sliding along the desert surface.

Elijah's com channel opened, "Raven, this is your transporter. We're coming up behind you, get ready for the pick up." As he heard this, a green blip flashed up on his radar behind him, closing at speed. As it gained on him, the dull roar of jet engines began to overpower the noise generated by the AC. Only seconds later, it passed over him, looking up he could clearly see the open rear door. Flicking on Havok's FCS, it recognized the open back and automatically plotted a short flight plan to land in the back. Being in normal mode, Havok didn't treat the transporter as a target for weaponry, meaning it functioned as a glorified guidance system. Elijah burned Havok's boosters to 100%, angling them further down, allowing Havok to lift off the ground. Even with the assistance of the FCS providing minor adjustments, flying something this heavy into a target not much larger than itself wasn't easy. Rolling pickups were typically forbidden to rookie pilots, accidents when they did happen often resulted in the loss of the transporter with the AC generally surviving, but it wasn't unheard of for the first few attempts of even seasoned pilots to fail.

"Easy Raven, only ten meters till you're in." Elijah's hands were losing their grip as he sweat, it wasn't easy to focus when your head was full of noise. "Five meters." Flaring Havok's boosters, the AC drifted perfectly into the open door, he slowly eased the throttle down, preventing a sudden increase in weight and unbalancing the transporter. The pilot adjusted for the cargo and Elijah cut the boosters.

"Alright, I'm in, let's get out of here." Elijah stepped Havok into the gantry and allowed it to connect, shutting down Havok's generator and engaging the transporters connection. As all the lights went out, he settled into his seat for the short trip back.

By the time he was halfway back, BFF had already begun packing the base up. He'd been talking to Sajjan only minutes ago but once the Mission Control room was dismantled he'd sat in silence.

But this wasn't a lonely silence, he was more than content to rest. The quiet was a much appreciated change to the chaos of combat and there was nothing really to worry about at this time. The threat of Motherwill was gone, BFF had clearly shown their support against GA despite his earlier misgivings regarding their acquisition of Motherwill.

It wasn't impossible that the Governor had already spoken to representatives of Leonemeccanica and Rosenthal to try and rally everyone as a unified front to stop GA taking them out. Considering Global Armaments open declaration of war on all Corporations as well as the Ravens, it shouldn't be too difficult.

Would the other Corporations be willing to work together against a common enemy? It wasn't so farfetched to think that but they had built virtually their entire existence on fighting each other. Even if those wars were organized.

"Raven, we're on approach for landing, we're only picking up White Glint and its pilot then we're straight off so you won't need to do anything." Elijah had left the channel to the pilot of the transporter open so he didn't have to worry about it.

He replied, "Alright thanks, I'll probably hop out and sit in the cargo hold, this cockpit is way too stuffy now."

No answer, but it wasn't like he needed one. Even the typically moody transporter pilots couldn't upset his mood today. He hadn't felt this good in weeks or longer. The blur of days and nights would wear anyone down, some months could get bad if you didn't pace yourself. There was no regulation saying how many missions you could take, it was entirely up to you.

The feeling of descending suddenly settled in his stomach as the transporter dipped its nose down the roar of the engines slowly dropped to an almost inaudible level from inside Havok.

He waited for the jolt of landing, bracing himself against the inactive controls. Moments later they were rolling down the runway, the thrusters flipping onto a full reverse burn to slow them down.

Elijah popped open the cockpit the second the transporter came to a complete stop, unclasping the harness crossing his chest and pushing himself up until he was standing on his seat, lifting himself out of the hatch previously covered by Havok's head which had shifted backwards and up slightly to allow entry and exit.

As he moved to climb the ladder to the gantry, the rear hatch of the transporter slowly opened. It took roughly the same amount of time for him to clamber up the ladder for the ramp to drop completely.

The familiar thumping footsteps of an AC approached. Seconds later, White Glint strode into view, stepping inside the transporter gingerly before stopping in the second gantry. Elijah waved wildly from his own gantry, unable to stop grinning from ear to ear.

White Glint's head shifted back and the cockpit hatch popped open, Sajjan's beaming face followed instantly. "Elijah! You absolutely amazing man!"

He couldn't help but laugh, Sajjan's joy and almost literally radiant smile was infectious. He ran to the gantry ladder down to the transporter deck while Sajjan did the same, rushing as fast as they could.

Sajjan grabbed Elijah the moment he was in arms reach, dragging him into an almost backbreaking hug.

"Ack!, Sa-Sajjan, ease up dude! I- I need to breathe!" He tried to encourage a release, smacking the back of Sajjan's shoulder as hard as he could be to no avail. Eventually, he managed to pull away, gulping down air.

"Dude, I know you're happy but holy damn killing me would put a serious dampener on this whole thing." Sajjan was apparently unfazed, his smile almost illuminating the cargo hold with its genuine radiance.

"I am simply glad you aren't hurt, the destruction of Motherwill is a secondary reason for celebration." As the transporter ramp lifted, the pair walked to the right hand side to sit in the seats bolted to the floor. "I won't lie though, everyone's hearts were in their mouths the entire duration of that mission. One of the control staff got so nervous he had to leave!"

Elijah laughed, "Shit man you guys were nervous? Who had the giant ass rocket strapped to them _which proceeded to catch fire mid flight?!"_ It had barely been an hour since the launch but it already felt so long ago. With that much adrenaline running through you, the perception of time got weird.

The sensation of acceleration set in as the transporter's jets rumbled up to full throttle, the jostling from the makeshift runway.

"We were all scared, perhaps to everyone else it was the fallibility of the VOB. That if this first shot failed, the second could as well. But I had the thought of my friend being killed sitting in the back of my head." He looked down, the smile on his face faltering for a second. "I'm not sure how I would have fared against Motherwill myself knowing you had lost you to it."

Elijah knew where he was coming from, it wasn't easy to live in a line of work where your friends could leave one day and never come home.

The transporter lifted away from the ground, carrying them away from the base, homeward bound. He lightly punched Sajjan in the shoulder, grinning.

"Dude if I died, I would pity whoever made the mistake of telling you they did it."

He wasn't lying, Sajjan may denounce revenge but he'd never allow anyone to die without their killing facing justice. It was strange in a way. He could detach his resentment from the person and place it solely on their actions.

"I'm sure that their wrongs would be punished in accordance to the law," Sajjan spoke up, the slip in character gone like it had never existed. "Oh! I'll call Tom to let him know how everything went!" As he said this, he had already taken his phone out and was excitedly typing in Tom's number.

Elijah had just started planning in his head what they should do once they got back when he noticed Sajjan staring at his phone with a troubled expression on his face.

"Hey, what's up?"

Sajjan tapped out Tom's number again before lifting it up to his ear. "I don't know, Tom's not picking up his phone, he always has it on him so…" He trailed off.

"Maybe it's out of charge?" It was always worth vocalizing even the most obvious ideas just in case.

Sajjan shook his head though, "No it's definitely ringing he's just not picking up."

As he said this, the internal speakers of the transporter crackled to life, "Ravens, I just tried to contact the Ark but I'm getting no response from our ATC, all the Ark channels are broadcasting an automated message, I thought you should hear it."

They both sat, unmoving, Sajjan letting his arm drop from his ear to hear as the Pilot routed the radio channel to them.

In only a moment, there was a crackle before, "-ctions. Thank you."

A brief pause, "This is an automated broadcast. All Ravens inbound to the Raven's Ark or in the Ark's airspace are to redirect to the nearest airbase and await further instructions. Do not approach the Ark under any circumstance. Redirect to the nearest airbase and await further instructions. Thank you."

The same pause before the message looped once again. They listened twice more before the Pilot cut the connection, switching back to his own microphone. "I'm taking us to a Rosenthal airbase around twenty kilometers from here. I'll le-"

Elijah interrupted, shouting back as he didn't know how sensitive the microphones in the cargo hold were, "Woah woah woah! No we aren't going to any airbase, we're going back to the Ark and we're going to see what happened. You got that?"

"Raven the instructions clearly say we n-"

Shouting again, "No! Fuck that noise, we go home. We see what's happening and we deal with shit later, alright?"

The pilot at this point dropped all pretense of professionalism, "Look you jacked up asshole, they said stay away from the Ark so we are staying away from the fucking Ark! I'm not gonna get potentially killed just because you've got an itch to scratch!"

Even Sajjan raised an eyebrow at that, Elijah on the other hand was fighting to keep his hands from shaking.

"Ok well this jacked up asshole is gonna down this fucking transporter if you don't take us to the Ark right fucking now! There'll be no potentially killed because I'll make goddamn sure that I kill you myself!"

There was a pause. In the silence he could feel Sajjan's gaze burning into his back. He knew that some choice words would be coming his way soon enough in the future.

The speakers crackled slightly, "Fine, setting course for the Ark. If this all turns out to be fucking nothing I'll filing a report against you. Jesus fucking Ra-"

He cut himself off, leaving them in the silence.

Elijah didn't realize in the moment, but he was actually standing up now. As he sat down again, he heard Sajjan quietly start talking. "Elijah, I understand that you are anxious because I am as well, but you shouldn't resort t-"

"Dude you don't have to tell me alright I know I'm sorry."

Surprisingly, there was no reply. Elijah glanced quickly to the side but Sajjan was just staring at his phone.

The pair of them sat, saying nothing.

_Everything will be ok. What could possibly be wrong?_

#####

Nothing was said.

The hum of the engines was the only noise filling the hold. Once again he found himself sitting in silence as the two of them flew home. This was becoming too common, there had to be something he could try and talk about.

At this point however, they were both so nervous thinking of what could be waiting for them when they arrived that not speaking was simply the better option. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach, that gnawing ball of tension which wouldn't go away. A very different fear to that of dying, it wasn't the same. Your heart wasn't racing, there was no fight or flight, you couldn't do anything about it.

There was just a slowly rising sickness in your throat that couldn't be shaken. A sinking in your gut that wouldn't let you forget what you were so afraid of.

Sajjan never really talked about his fears, he kept himself wrapped up in a flawless shell of courtesy and compassion that never wavered and never faltered.

You could only hope on hope that those fears were unfounded. That you never had to find out what it was like to have them come true.

Whilst Sajjan had attempted to contact Tom to no avail, Elijah had himself sat and repeated called their friend's number, trying to get through. All that happened was ringing, nothing else. After fifteen seconds or so it would cut to silence.

Dozens of messages had been sent but not one had been answered. Elijah wished he'd perhaps spoken to a few more people on the Ark so he could actually have more than two people to call at once.

The sitting and waiting was killing him so he stood up, slowly pacing along the right hand side of the transporter's hold, staring out of the windows as he passed them. The sun was beginning to set, casting a bright orange glow across the clouds. Rays of light filter through gaps, streaming into the hold throwing shadows along the walls and their ACs like dancers in slow-motion.

He wished this was another day, a day when he could have appreciated the view.

Elijah almost jumped when the speakers hissed before the pilot's voice echoed through them, "In five minutes we'll have a visual on the Ark, it'll be on our starboard side but I need to clear this cloud layer before we can see it so hold on."

In an instant, Sajjan was standing up, staring out of a window next to Elijah's. "Everything's going to be fine, isn't it? We're worrying over nothing, right?"

He was trying so hard not to crack. If Sajjan was smiling now, it was fake, that grin would have no light in it. It was probably the closest Elijah had ever seen him to being scared, or even terrified. His hands were shivering on the rail, the vibration travelling through to his own hands.

There was no way Elijah could say any different. That gut feeling was only getting worse, the only thing that would cure it is seeing the Ark, safe and whole. To be able to see the place he called home.

Then, nothing. The transporter flew through a cloud and their view was immediately obscured by grey, flecked with the odd specks of copper light breaking through.

Elijah looked up at Sajjan, "Dude, we're worrying over nothing, it'll be fine!" He was lying just as much as Sajjan was. He had no idea. He was hoping on hope that nothing was wrong. Just one glance was all he needed to make it true.

The cargo hold speakers crackled.

"Alright, we're coming through, I should have a vis- Oh… Oh god."

Elijah's blood turned to ice. It felt like everything was underwater, he couldn't move fast enough. Sajjan had already managed to look back through his window. Elijah was still frozen, staring at his face.

That smile was gone.

There was no hope on his face.

It took every ounce of Elijah's strength to face that window. To face whatever Sajjan was seeing through the glass.

The sun was dim. Shrouded in black. That beautiful orange glow was stained, tainted, a murky brown. Thick smoke filled, no, choked the sky.

Dancing in the darkened afternoon. Casting its own light and shadows. Fire stretched upwards, flames reaching into the air.

Clouds of ash billowed to and fro in the weak breeze, thrown around by the inferno raging in front of him.

They were close enough that he could see what was flying around in the distance. GA attack aircraft. Tens or even hundreds of them, like a swarm of insects around a corpse. You could still see the white trails from missiles as they peeled away, slamming into their target. Streams of tracer fire cutting through the dying light of day.

There was almost no returning fire. Maybe the odd burst here and there, only a handful of anti-aircraft guns able to try and fend off the unstoppable horde.

It was a hopeless action. A worthless pathetic fight they had already lost.

Of course Motherwill had been unprotected, this was why. Its attached air force had already been dispatched. Long gone by the time Elijah had launched against it.

It meant nothing now. Motherwill's destruction was a hollow, false victory. In the face of this, he wished they had never even left to fight it.

Next to him, Sajjan was clearly trying to say something. Trying to fight the same rising bile in his throat that Elijah had. His face was contorting, his mouth noiselessly moving, trying to speak, managing only to croak as words failed him.

From their position, he could see the runway, a transporter attempting to take off while a pair of GA fighters closed in from its port side, flying high.

How many people were on that transporter? They could hold over three hundred people in their cargo hold if everyone was standing.

Before his fears for the transporter could go any further, both attack jets exploded, only the briefest flash of tracer fire indicating any attack against them. It wasn't the same as the fire from the remaining turrets.

Scanning across the main deck for the source of the jets destruction, he saw it. He couldn't believe it. It seemed so impossible. But there it was, with no shadow of doubt.

On the deck, weaving between missiles, strafing runs. With two rifles pointed skyward, was a battered and beaten jet black Aaliyah frame AC.

Supplice.

Berlioz was there. Protecting the transporters as they evacuated. Trying to bring down as many GA air craft as possible. A desperate, unwinnable fight.

But despite all that, he stood there, amongst the rubble and wreckage, fighting.

However, both Sajjan and Elijah were trapped here, unable to do anything but watch. He felt sick.

They had come home, to find nothing but fire and death. Only black smoke, twisted metal and broken glass.

Their home was in ruins.

The Ark was burning.


	13. Broken Crown

It's easy to lose track of time in combat.

It had happened so many times before.

You zone out. Stop thinking at the higher levels. Everything becomes instinct and reaction. A break left, feint right. Shift backwards, twist to one side.

Berlioz had stopped thinking years ago. Things were easier then. You could switch off, shut the world out. You could act and react without hesitation or doubt. There was no time to listen to begging, no space for guilt or shame.

Not on the battlefield.

There, in his own personal slice of hell, he stood head and shoulders above all. He towered over every soldier, standing on a mountain of bodies and blood. How could they compare? Who else would want to? Why would you wish to equal such evil?

On the battlefield, he added to that mountain in droves. Not one moment given to who died. To those he cut down. In the moment, nothing mattered but completing the objective. So long as that happened, Alicia could keep breathing.

He'd been lying in bed when the attack begun. While it felt like an age to him, the struggle in his head between giving up or fighting lasted only minutes. What made this time different, was that he could choose to fight.

This time, there was no gun to his head, no threat, to force him. In seven years this would be the first choice he could make, whether to fight or not. It could very well be his last. But that wasn't important.

On his way out, the Governor had called him, because Ravens couldn't pilot without a mission request. This mission was simple. An objective he could follow with a clear conscience and no regrets.

_"Protect the evacuating transporters. Defend the Ark, at all costs."_

Standing on the Ark's deck, he put every ounce of his being into that objective. There wasn't one fiber of his body that wasn't twisting and flexing with every motion.

Supplice was in a sorry state. It had barely been a day since going to Exavil, even working at a cruel pace, the repair crew assigned to his AC hadn't even managed to get through half of the issues that plagued the battered machine.

Multiple sections of armour plating missing, limb alignment was out, several monitors were non-functional, the cockpit was a complete state. All of these were issues he could cope with. The biggest problem was that the Kojima module on his generator wasn't running at 100%, meaning that it had to remain deactivated.

To access the generator and the Kojima module, the cockpit access hatch had been unsealed, meaning activating his Primal Armour was an instant death sentence as the radioactive particles would flood the cockpit in seconds.

All of these issues compounded onto his current situation, sliding side to side, firing whatever functional boosters he had left to evade incoming fire.

A single missile could put him out for good, a lucky gun run could render Supplice unable to move or fire. Everything was a threat.

No different to any other mission then.

However, with such a large mission area, it would be impossible for him to keep track of every possible target, particularly those lining up for strikes on the transporters.

This was where Fiona shined. The Governor, Fiona and several volunteers had remained onboard the Ark, still manning the command center. Sending the transporters through the airspace with the fewest enemies, directing the surviving anti-aircraft systems to engage priority targets.

Fiona's job was to call out targets for Berlioz. Supplice's limited capability to filter out the noise from the burning Ark and all the projectiles flying around meant he was effectively blind to whatever he wasn't looking directly at.

Between the two of them, they'd keep fighting to the bitter end, just like always.

"Two inbound on transporter five! Coming in headin-"

That was enough for him, he shot sideways across the deck, scattering rubble with Supplice's feet, twisting the body around enough that he could scan the sky. He saw them a split second later, both in formation, diving down towards the runway on the other side of the Ark.

He flicked his right rifle skyward, allowing the FCS to compensate for any offset or error firing while he pointed the left rifle towards another jet that was banking around, heading straight for him.

Squeezing both triggers only for a split second, he immediately switched targets, Supplice's joints groaning at the rapid change of direction, his own limbs on fire from constant movement.

"Target! Your three o'clock!"

"Seven o'clock, three incoming!"

"Heading three two two, with another coming at you from your six o'clock"

It was never ending. Again and again and again and again.

You fell into a pattern, the target was called or not even then just seen, then the shot was lined up and a handful of shells sent their way.

The heat from inside the cockpit was something he'd never experienced in a very long time. Supplice's climate control was considered a non-priority repair, meaning that he had no way of cooling down. If the GA fighters didn't kill him then he was going to sweat himself into oblivion.

The HUD warning regarding missile launches was pretty much useless at this point because the missile launches could be directed at literally anything, not just him. Although upon spinning to his right to swat a jet passing over his head out of the sky, he did spot three trails of smoke arcing towards him.

Had it been a single missile, he could have just adjusted Supplice's position to avoid it with as little excessive movement as possible. Three was another story, he couldn't risk the hit. He waited a second for the warheads to close on him, before deploying Supplice's countermeasures, two streams of flares spewing forwards while he threw the AC to one side.

He couldn't afford to do that much more, watching the missiles lose their lock, spiraling off after the burning balls of light. Supplice's BFF made flare system was certainly effective and very high quality, but it only carried sixteen charges, meaning he had to be absolutely sure he couldn't dodge.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem, for the most part he could allow his PA to disintegrate the missiles before they have a chance to detonate properly. However today without the PA to protect him, he had to rely entirely on Supplice's rapidly declining maneuverability.

"Fiona!" He shouted over the din, "How many more transporters?" The moment the last transporter was clear he could start thinking of how to get out of there himself.

"Three transporters remaining and that'll be everyone!"

"Alright fine, you better be o-"

A new blinking warning on his HUD caught his attention. Berlioz was suddenly very aware of how shaky his aim was.

_[FCS Failure, Overheating]_

_[FCS Failure, Overheating]_

_[FCS Failure, Overheating]_

_Fuck._

"Shit! Fiona, my FCS has gone down, I am not fucking around now, get those goddamn transporters airborne!"

"Shut up and keep shooting we're working on it! Christ!"

He did just that. Firing angles needed to be calculated on the fly manually, with no computer assistance. There was no room for error, he didn't have the ammunition to waste. Supplice wasn't built for protracted combat, very few ACs were. They simply couldn't carry the ammo without taking bulky and vulnerable external magazine racks.

A jet took a lazy arc through the air in front of him, making the tracking easy for him. Only two shells were needed to reduce the aircraft to a fireball.

He could hear Fiona talking to someone else over the com channel, "What are you talking about? No one else is active out there! No that do- Let me look."

Whatever the hell it was he wished she'd deal with it quickly, trying to keep track of this many targets at once was making his already cramping stomach turn.

The pain was almost unbearable. If it had been any other day he'd have called it. The broken ribs inside him were grinding against each other. His arms and legs were slick with sweat and blood from the reopened cuts.

"Shit whatever the fuck it is I'll let him know" Fiona's voice suddenly became clearer. "Berlioz, we have an unknown AC inbound from directly above the Ark, it's a high altitude drop and we have no idea who it is."

_Wait what? An unknown AC? That shouldn't be possible. All ACs were registered to the Ark and by extension those in active service were directly linked to the account of their pilot._

He panned Supplice's head about, trying to spot the AC approaching.

"Where the fuck is it now?!" Hopefully Fiona had a bead on it, "Can't you tell me _anything_ about it or its pilot?"

Her voice was shaking somewhat, "Unknown AC is directly ahead of you, around five hundred meters. I don't even recognize the frame, I know nothing about this AC. Be fucking careful."

Making sure nothing was trying to kill him at that very moment, he focused his somewhat blurry vision forwards. Just like she said, there it was.

Jet black, just like Supplice, but with a pale turquoise glow from its optics. Its body was smooth and lithe, armour plating flowing from section to section without fault. Its arms and legs were surprisingly thin and angular. The head was sunk into the chest, its shoulders rising above giving it a hunchback appearance.

In its right hand was what looked like a Rayleonard medium machine gun, but the original metal framework along the bottom of the weapon had been stretched out to extend nearly a meter further, the lower edge now sharpened to a vicious serrated edge. Like someone had attached a twisted knife to it. In the left was a strange… rifle? He wasn't sure, it almost looked like the framework of a rifle that had been almost entirely hollowed out. He had no idea what it was.

On its right back mount was again, an unknown weapon that at the very least from what he could see had four barrels parallel barrels. Literally the only thing he could recognize was the radar array mounted onto its left back mount.

Nothing about this AC was familiar. He'd never seen the frame before, or most of its weapons. Was it some test type that hadn't been announced?

He'd never find out if he didn't at least ask. Berlioz opened a secondary com channel, attempting to open a direct line to the AC in front of him. Somewhat surprisingly, the channel was accepted with no delay. He paused for a moment, waiting to see if this unknown Raven would speak first.

"Berlioz!" He jumped in his seat as Fiona's voice blasted out of the speakers instead, pain lancing through his body. "Only two transporters left but the GA fighters seem to have backed off, they're… they're letting the transporters pass?" He didn't say anything back, clearly something was up here. If the GA attack had stopped for the time being, at the same time as this AC showing up, there had to be some kind of connection there.

He pushed the thought to the back of his head. It looked like he was going to have to speak first. Taking a deep breath, he said as clearly as possible, "Raven, we don't have you or your AC on record, could you please identify yourself?"

There was a pause of only a second, before a quiet chuckle came back through.

"I am no Raven. You of all people should know, Lamond."

That voice.

Berlioz's blood was replaced with ice as fear gripped him like a vice. He'd forgotten what this fear was like. This wasn't just being afraid, it wasn't a case of being scared. This was genuine, absolute terror.

He knew that voice.

No matter the mission, no matter the threat. Even when pushing himself to the absolute limit of his ability to stay alive, he'd never really felt terror. There had never been and enemy that could bring this reaction out.

That voice he couldn't forget.

It had been so, so long. Before he killed Wynne and took that bloody crown from her. Before he signed on to serve Rayleonard as their dog. He remembered a man who was able to bring that fear back out. To chill him to the bone.

His past had caught up to him and there was no doubt left in his mind.

He was going to die today.

Fiona's voice hissed at him, "Berlioz, why is he referring to you by last name alone? Do you know him?" She'd know why this was strange, only a handful of people knew Berlioz's full name. Calling him 'Lamond' alone was even more out of place to her. But there was a time and place when everyone knew each other by surname alone.

The Rayleonard Test Pilot Program.

He answered Fiona, trying to keep the shaking out of his voice, "Yeah, I know him. You need to get out of here now, everyone still in the command center needs to get to the last transporters immediately, alright?"

"Wait what? Why? Who is he?" Fiona pressed him.

"I said get to the fucking transporters now! You a-"

The other pilot cut him off, "Why don't you let everyone here know who I am hmmm? I think it's rather rude Lamond, to keep everybody in the dark, don't you?"

He hated it. That smooth and calm delivery, the way he sounded so amenable. Through clenched teeth, he sighed.

"His… His name is Thermidor, Maximilian Thermidor. He is a former Raven and was part of the same Rayleonard Test Program as me. He was the one who should have been signed onto Rayleonard."

"Indeed," Thermidor continued, "Please do explain _why_ I am a former Raven, why I never got the chance to sign that contract?"

"Because…" Berlioz really didn't want to have to go through, but he didn't know what Thermidor would do if he didn't play along. "Because during a routine test, you killed two other test pilots in cold blood. Rayleonard threw you out of their program and the Ravens cut you loose. Not wanting to be associated with someone who could so brazenly kill their own in a controlled environment."

"I think that's rather interesting, don't you Lamond? I do wonder, how many Ravens died by your hands? I do believe the 'Controlled Environment' nonsense makes no difference really now, does it?"

His hands were shaking. This was literally the last thing he needed right now.

"I wonder why the deaths of two Ravens was enough to cut ties with me? When they were both more than happy to cozy up with you. A man who literally wades waist deep in blood and death with every step you take."

Of course he was right. But he knew why he'd been allowed to carry on. Every death had been sanctioned by Rayleonard and the Ark. Berlioz had allowed himself to act as a weapon without questioning orders. His choice had been to follow every instruction to the letter, or allow his sister to die.

Thermidor had rejected that, choosing to act on free will, fighting and killing with no discretion but his own. He was given repeated warnings for being too violent during test runs, often injuring other pilots and staff due to his lack of restraint in combat.

He stood head and shoulders above every other test pilot including Berlioz himself. With flawless marks across all fields.

It was during their final test runs that Thermidor clearly decided he'd had enough of holding back. He altered the testing AC frame he was using, allowing himself to continue using it despite any command override sent by the staff of the facility.

The test was a simple two against one scenario, to see how a Raven would act in the unlikely situation of being faced with two opposing Ravens.

They had to use an emergency electromagnetic pulse to stop him. Both Ravens beaten into a pulp, their cockpits smashed in.

Because Thermidor had come to realise that just shooting an AC till it failed wasn't enough for him. In the often tight close quarters of the testing environments, he learned to beat ACs to their knees, bludgeoning them down with his weapons and his fists.

Brutal and clinical, he'd take his opponent down with a rain of blows, purposefully leaving his target unable to defend itself before breaking their core open and pulverizing the pilot inside.

It was then that Rayleonard decided he wasn't worth the risk and had him rejected from the program. When the Ark found out, they immediately had Thermidor's AC and rank as a Raven taken from him.

It was because of that, Berlioz found himself as the prime candidate for Rayleonard.

"Fiona, you need to leave, right now. Ok?" He didn't want to order her about, but at this rate none of the staff still on the Ark would survive.

There was a brief pause before, "Alright fine, we're packing up here, I'll contact you once I'm on a transporter. Don't die."

The line went dead. He was now alone with Thermidor.

"Isn't that nice Lamond? Someone cares about you, who'd have thought it? Perhaps I was wrong and it's possible for people to mistake monsters for people."

As much as he wanted to, he didn't correct him. Thermidor wasn't looking for a debate on morality, he was just trying to get in his head.

In a way, he couldn't correct him. He was right. Killing with permission wasn't really any different to killing without. You were still taking lives, you still left people with holes in their families they could never fill.

"So why are you here now Thermidor? Why show yourself now of all times?" If anything at least he could try and find out his goal, what his end game was.

"After being forced out of the Ark, I spent an awfully long time wandering. Through city streets and deserts. Years of nothing, years of fighting as parts of independent groups, time starts to blend together. But I never forgot what I lost. Over those years I got to watch you in the position that should have been given to me."

Berlioz had to question that, "What should have been given to you? Since when were you owed the contract to Rayleonard?"

"Because I was the best! Because I came out on top and Rayleonard stabbed me in the back! I lost everything, I had nothing!"

"Oh please," Berlioz wasn't having any of this, his hands tightening on the controls of Supplice. "Rayleonard didn't stab you in the back, you fucking murdered people! How could they possibly trust you to act as a Raven should if you can't keep your shit together!"

For the first time since Berlioz saw it, Thermidor's AC began to move, striding forwards towards him.

"I would love to stay and chat, but I have my orders. GA were willing to accept me into their ranks on only a single condition, I'm wondering why I ever bothered with Rayleonard now."

_Thermidor is working under GA?_ This was fairly surprising as he assumed Thermidor hated the idea of being told what to do.

Berlioz shifted Supplice's weight to increase his stability, readying both rifles in case of an attack. He had no idea what weapons this AC had, meaning anything could happen.

"I can guess the orders but what was your condition? What could you possibly have wanted from GA?"

The laughing that came back at him sent shivers through his entire body.

"Can't you guess? The condition of my cooperation, was getting the chance to kill you."

There was no fight or flight, the unbearable hostility running through every one of Thermidor's words made it very clear. If he ran, he'd die. The only option was to try to survive as long as possible.

He needed the higher ground, moving from the main deck to the smaller one and firing down was an option, but if he just went for it then Thermidor would beat him there.

Berlioz had to get Thermidor to move away from the upper deck to give him more of a window. There was a way to coax an opposing Raven into moving their AC where you wanted them to, it wasn't complex or complicated. It was an innate reaction to avoid incoming fire, so by directing your attacks with inclinations in certain directions, you could force an AC to dance whichever dance you wished.

The complete motion would be to shift his weight left, hopefully to lure Thermidor into starting to head closer to the deck edge. Then a burst of rifle fire at that AC's right side from his perspective which should cause a dodge to Berlioz's left. That should give him enough time.

With his weight going in the wrong direction, he'd have to flare his boosters harder than he'd like with Supplice in the state it was in, but if he kept that balance right he should counter-slide right. After that, kick off from the deck and boost up to the higher deck while continuing to suppress Thermidor with rifle fire.

That black AC was not even four hundred meters away, still striding forwards. It was no or never.

Sliding Supplice's right foot slightly away from his center of gravity and sinking its left knee, he prepared for the maneuver. Themidor's AC continued walking towards him, unflinching.

What was he planning? Was he just going to keep walking at him? No adjustment? No plan? There wasn't any time to think about it, he raised the BFF rifle in his right hand, snapping off a series of rounds, tracers leaving streaks through the air.

Still Thermidor didn't react. _If he didn't move, those rounds wou-_

The bottom fell out of Berlioz's already torn up gut.

_No. No no no no no! It can't…_

Thermidor had no need to evade enemy fire. He could march forward with impunity.

Supplice's assault rifle rounds exploded, a few meters from Thermidor's AC, slamming into a brilliant swirling ball of gold and bright amber charged Kojima particles.

Primal Armour.

The original plan was worthless now, he had to bring that field down. PA wasn't invulnerable, sustained fire could bring it down, he knew this. He centered his weight again, bracing himself for the recoil.

Leveling both rifles at Thermidor he squeezed the triggers. Without the FCS it was difficult to fight both weapons kicking up, the dulled roar of the rifles blazing away resounded through the entire AC, filling his ears.

But even after six seconds of continuous fire, Thermidor still approached, unfazed. The sphere of energy still glowing with that dull light, arcs of electrical discharge striking the deck as shells smashed into it, ineffective.

Supplice didn't have the ammunition to keep up this sustained fire without some kind of pay off, this was ridiculous. That field should have at least thinned out enough to begin to destabilize.

Releasing the triggers, he took a step back, trying to figure out what to do.

"Isn't it wonderful? I didn't believe it at first. I heard whispers of it during the test program, but it was only when I saw some secretly filmed footage of Supplice during its developmental phase that I knew that's what I needed."

Berlioz took another step back. Shrouded and backlight by the fires raging across the Ark's surface, it was like a black armoured demon was bearing down on him. Ready to devour him.

"GA's allies provided me with this AC, Unsung, and equipped it with a generator that could generate a Primal Armour field. Of course, the shoddy sub-par module mounted onto your Aaliyah's generator is nothing more than an experiment, a weak botch job prototype that could never compare to the finished product."

_Unsung, trust him to call it that._ Thermidor genuinely saw himself as a man slighted by the world. Like he was truly robbed of his rightfully owed position of power.

He carried on, "At the heart of this machine beats the first production model generator with the ability to produce Kojima Particles without an external module, capable of sustaining an absolutely flawless PA field."

_Flawless?_ That had Berlioz frowning, perhaps that meant breaking through it wasn't going to be so easy.

He still had another card to play, the grenade launcher on his shoulder could possibly thin the field given enough consecutive impacts, it would certainly help in gauging Thermidor's confidence in his so called 'flawless' PA.

"I feel like I've talked long enough, I didn't wait over seven years to catch up and chat. Do me a favour won't you Berlioz?"

"Like what?" His whole body was tense like a steel cable.

"Make this interesting, won't you?"

The second he finished speaking, it was already too late to react. To say the speed was unbelievable was an understatement. Before Berlioz could even adjust Supplice's throttle, Unsung had flash stepped forwards using itss OB for a single instantaneous boost of acceleration.

He was expecting gunfire, even at this distance it would make sense to fire with little risk of evasion. But the attack that came was only to be realized as it happened. He'd forgotten the rifle/blade hybrid weapon that Unsung carried in its right hand.

_Oh Go-_

He had only long enough to shift to the right by inches before the blade of the gun came crashing down onto Supplice's upper core, crushing the armour and reinforced framework underneath. If he hadn't moved at all, it would have blinded him with the destruction of Supplice's head.

The noise was the worst part, that screech of metal grinding against metal, buckling and warping under the cutting pressure. Warnings were blaring as Supplice alerted him to the catastrophic damage being delt.

Berlioz fired Supplice's boosters in full reverse, trying to get away. The endeavor was successful, the horrific noise of the serrated edge ripping armour apart as it came loose rang through his head.

On a side monitor, a warning blinked crimson at him.

_[WARNING: Left Arm Hydraulic Pressure Dropping]_

_[WARNING: Left Arm Hydraulic Pressure Dropping]_

Looking at the blade on Unsung's rifle, he could see the dull orange fluid dripping from the edge. A severed line was a serious problem, when the reserve of fluid in the system ran out, he'd lose functionality in Supplice's left arm, meaning he couldn't use that weapon either.

"Oh ho! Not so fast!"

Expecting another melee strike, Berlioz reactively shot backwards, burning hard to evade the blow.

It never came. Looking at Unsung, the AC this time raised the strange looking weapon in its left hand.

What came out of the end wasn't a bullet or any kind of projectile he knew of. Instead, a stream of glowing Kojima Particles flew out, crackling like lightning, whistling over and around Supplice at a frightening speed.

Then everything went to hell, Supplice's OS went haywire. Every single warning possible flared onscreen before the entire system crashed and shutdown, a monitor to his left exploded and all the controls seized up. His AC slumped idle, unable to move.

Supplice still had power but almost every core system had failed, only a handful remained active. This did include the communication module, which ran on an auxiliary system.

"What the fuck was that?!" He said more to try and calm himself down.

Of course, Thermidor could still hear him, "Did you like that? Something one of GA's allies cooked up. They've been doing an awful lot of research into the application of Kojima Particles, this is just one of the weapons that's come out of R&D.

"That's sick, it's bad enough to use Kojima Particles for Primal Armour, but using it as a weapon?"

"The cowards at Rayleonard didn't know the potential for what they had made. This is just one application. They found that concentrated streams of low-density Kojima Particles with the correct charge through have some peculiar effects on certain electrical systems like those found in the primary operations of an Armored Core."

_A rifle that can completely immobilize an AC? Fuck._ That rifle suited Thermidor just fine. The flickering image on his main monitor showed a skewed image, Unsung walking up to him.

Berlioz jerked the controls back and forth while Supplice rebooted, praying it was fast enough.

Not quite, as Unsung swung the rifle at Supplice, the blade smashing into the right hand side of Supplice's body, just in front of where the arm rested.

A moment after impact, Supplice's controls suddenly came loose as everything reengaged. Berlioz kicked away, boosters burning to get away.

Thermidor didn't immediate follow, still moving at that same steady pace. It was unnerving, like an unstoppable creature that would never give up.

If there was ever going to be the chance he needed to bring Unsung down, it was now. Putting a couple of hundred meters between them, he hunched Supplice down, making the machine as stable as possible. If he was going to go for consecutive hits, he'd need it as he couldn't rely on the AC's FCS to compensate for the immense recoil.

Berlioz switched from Supplice's right rifle to the back mounted cannon, the barrel flipping up and over his shoulder, locking into the body of the weapon, creating an unbroken gun that from end to end was nearly as long as Supplice was tall.

A high explosive shell was already pre-loaded, but the weapon did have a dual feed mechanism meaning that two types of ammo could be fired interchangeably without any need to adjust. If the HE shell wouldn't cut it, the sabot round might.

Thermidor's voice filled his ears, "Trying something different? I do wish you'd be a little more inventive though, I'm starting to wonder how exactly you beat Wynne? Did she go easy on you?"

He lined the manual sight over Unsung in a single motion.

"Shut up you fucking monster!"

Berlioz squeezed the trigger as hard as he could, the entire body of Supplice flexing against the blast as the cannon fired.

The streak of white vapour trailing behind the shell covered the distance between them in a flash. It detonated, he didn't wait to see if it had any effect, another shell in the gun's breach already.

Again and again he fired, the cloud of dust and smoke obscuring his view of Unsung. After nine rounds he stopped, taking several slow steps back.

It was getting hard to breathe, to move, to think. His whole body was shaking and shivering, the controls, the seat, nearly every surface he was in contact with was slick with sweat and blood. The pain was unbearable. He just wanted to stop, to lie down.

Unsung stepped out of the smoke.

"Monster? That's rich coming from the man who kills everything they touch! Hit me again! I dare you! Just try!"

The sphere of Kojima Particles swirling unchanged. The AC dashed forwards again, closing in on Supplice, swinging the gunblade in a smooth uppercut, looking to slice the front of Supplice's core off.

An unsteady step back was enough for Supplice's body to get clear, but not enough for the long barrel of the grenade cannon. It was cleaved off in a single motion, sailing through the air in a small arc before bouncing off the ground.

He lit Supplice's boosters, desperate to get away. He couldn't fight this. This was a nightmare he couldn't kill.

The com light blinked a murky green. He allowed the channel, Fiona's voice ringing out, somewhat crackly over the speakers.

"Berlioz! I'm on the transporter, what's happening? Are you alright?"

He tried to chuckle, but it was beyond him now. "S-still breathing, a-are you airborne?"

"We're taking off right now. We'll enter a holding pattern so I can see you, the GA fighters are still maintaining their distance."

"Good, good. I… I'm glad you're safe. What… What a-about the last transporter?"

There was a short pause, muffled talking, "They were still loading when we taxied, they shouldn't be long please hold on!"

He smiled, it was so like her to believe he could. She'd always had faith in him no matter what. Of course she didn't know, but he wondered if that even mattered to her. They'd been friends for so long that maybe he should had trusted her a little more.

He'd make it up to her, somehow, someday.

"Alright, I can do that."

Berlioz flicked a large red switch above his head, jettisoning the damaged weapon from his back, the crash reverberating through the floor and into the cockpit.

Reaching over to the small battered panel, he flicked down two switches.

_I'm sorry Alicia, I didn't mean to lie, but I won't be able to see you again. I'm sorry Fiona, I said we'd get through the fighting together, but you're going to have to carry on alone._

He ignored the immediately pulsing warning, that familiar whine filling his ears as he came to a standstill not even a hundred meters in front of Unsung

It didn't take her long.

"Berlioz? Why am I getting a radiation warnin- Wait. What!? Berlioz!? What have you done?! What have you done!? Berlioz! Please! B-"

He closed the channel.

No need to hear it. He never liked making people cry. The echoes of sobbing families ringing through his head every night was enough for him.

As the noise behind him grew louder and louder, he could taste metal in his mouth. Either from the blood or the radiation, it didn't matter. Not anymore.

Supplice's Primal Armour was his last chance, a last desperate move to place himself on equal footing with the mechanical beast he faced.

Thermidor spoke, "Oh? I wonder what took you so long, I'll certainly enjoy this a little more now.

The second that screeching reached a peak, he dropped the small lever, the Kojima Particle field arcing electricity off it as the charge flooded through it.

"Come on Thermidor, y-you said you wanted me dead? Here I am. Kill me then!"

He didn't back down as Unsung strode forwards, he fired with both rifles, no longer conserving ammunition, just blazing away with reckless abandon, trying with every round to break that shell.

But to no avail. Supplice's left hand rifle clicked dry first, the red blinking zero under its icon on the fuzzy HUD indicated that it had no more ammo. As he glanced back to the main display, Unsung raised and fired its gunblade twice, both shells landing squarely on target.

Supplice's PA discharged, coming apart instantly, the field failing as the Kojima Module coughed and died behind him.

_Oh god._

This was it. His last gambit had failed.

Unsung fired the disabling rifle and just like before, Supplice sunk down, unable to support itself as the operating system crashed. He needed to move, to do something, anything. Unsung, always marching towards him, that black devil hunting him ever second.

Not that he was any different.

"You know Lamond," Thermidor's voice was just dripping with condescension, "This really is a pathetic effort, honestly. I did expect better from someone as lauded as yourself. Was it all a lie? I think it was. I don't see Berlioz Lamond in front of me, I see a scared and weak man who gave up a long time ago."

Berlioz gritted his teeth, spitting his words back through the blood in his mouth, "I didn't give up, I wouldn't be here if I had. I'd be dead on some battlefield just like you should be! I had someone to fight for!"

Supplice rebooted, everything lighting back up. He'd passed his limit, he was running on strength that wasn't his.

Unsung was on top of him a second later, the disabling rifle now gone. He tried to counter with his right hand rifle, but Thermidor knocked it aside with his now free hand, closing the gap between them.

"What a shame then! To let them down in such a pitiful way!"

Thermidor's free hand reached for Supplice's left arm, Berlioz tried desperately to yank it away but the controls were sluggish, the arm was barely responding to his input.

_What?! What's ha- _Then it hit him. Of course, the cut hydraulic line. He'd missed the blinking warning on a secondary monitor.__

___[WARNING: Left Arm Hydraulic Failure]_ _ _

___[WARNING: Left Arm Hydraulic Failure]_ _ _

___[WARNING: Left Arm Hydraulic Failure]_ _ _

__Thermidor's hand clamped down on the arm, metal giving way under the surprising pressure exerted. Supplice couldn't pull the arm free, there wasn't enough fluid left. When Unsung held the gunblade in its hand high, Berlioz realized exactly what Thermidor planned to do and he could do nothing to stop him._ _

__He brought blade down like an executioner's axe, hacking away at the arm. Metal and armour peeling apart, the supporting frame cut and crushed._ _

__Berlioz fired what available boosters Supplice still had while kicking against the ground._ _

__Suddenly he shot backwards, stumbling as the unevenly distributed thrust threw his balance off. Not to mention the weight of Supplice was considerably slanted to his right._ _

__It was only then that he looked down, to see the sparking and ragged stump where Supplice's left arm once was. On the ground at Unsung's feet lay the arm, still clutching the Rayleonard assault rifle._ _

__Thermidor's voice filled his head. He couldn't shake it. "I wish I could say I felt sorry for you. It's like watching a dying animal, ineffectively bearing its teeth at the hunter it has no chance against."_ _

__Berlioz fired with his remaining rifle, slowly limping backwards, his legs and arms burning with pain, fumbling the controls as shots went wide or glancing off the PA field._ _

__He wanted to cry out, to curl into a ball and scream. But he couldn't, he had to keep struggling, to lash out with even the last drop of blood in his body._ _

__Berlioz had spilt enough over the years, he owed it to them, didn't he?_ _

__Thermidor caught up with him, "I'm bored now. I've got to say, this really wasn't worth the wait. I do wish you'd actually put some effort into this. But, what should I expect from someone like you?"_ _

__Thermidor lunged at him, his hand grabbing Supplice around the neck with almost impossible strength, lifting the entire AC into the air. The sudden impact, jolting him. Berlioz didn't have any more fight to give. He was burnt out._ _

__Supplice hung limp from Unsung's raised grasp. The hand with the gunblade drawn back._ _

__He knew what was coming._ _

__"A wretched, worthless fraud."_ _

__Thermidor moved Unsung with a single fluid motion._ _

__Supplice's generator ground to a halt, the primary power failing as everything except a few emergency systems shutdown permanently. Berlioz's legs suddenly went cold, he couldn't move them anymore?_ _

__Looking down he saw the edge of Unsung's gunblade, a torrent of red pouring over it. The massive serrated edge had punched through the lower half of Supplice's core, right through the cockpit and into the generator behind him._ _

__In doing this, the blade had sliced straight through his right side and back. Of course he couldn't feel his legs, his spine had been severed._ _

__Nothing made sense, this should hurt right? He should feel pain? Shouldn't he?_ _

__Why didn't this hurt? It was just cold. A numbness like oblivion had consumed his lower half._ _

__It didn't feel real._ _

__Unsung dropped Supplice, the broken machine crumpling into a heap. With the cockpit breached, the thick field of Kojima Particles flooded in, it was like someone had filled his mouth with lead. He could smell the radiation._ _

__The sound of metal grating against metal rang out, he felt like he was moving. Through the gaping wound in Supplice's core he could see the sky, that deep orange marred by black smoke and ash._ _

__He wished he could have seen the sun rise. Just one last time._ _

__The flashes of Unsung's back revealed the situation. He was being dragged somewhere._ _

__Then, Thermidor's AC filled his view, he was being held up again. Behind Unsung, he could see the Ark burning, from what he could see, they must have been at the very edge of the Ark's main deck._ _

__Even through the building haze in his head, he could still hear Thermidor clear as day. "Now, don't you think we should address those who believed in you?"_ _

__Berlioz wished he could speak but at this point anything besides listening was beyond him. The best he could have done was gurgle and continue to drool blood over himself._ _

__The speakers crackled slightly, then Thermidor's voice boomed out over them. "Hello members of the Raven's Ark! My name is Maximilian Thermidor and I have some questions for you all listening!"_ _

__He must be talking to everyone, not just him now. He wondered how exactly he was doing it, but staying conscious was the priority._ _

__"The man I hold here is supposed to be the very best you have to offer, the one you all looked up to and called Number One. The Ninebreaker!"_ _

__Keeping his eyes open now was a monumental task. He was grateful the pain had gone away._ _

__"He doesn't look like much does he? I think, in a way he represents you all. All of the Ravens and those that support them. You are revered as the gods of the battlefield, the harbingers of death. The most powerful fighting force in the world."_ _

__He shook Supplice slightly, "And now look at you! You thought yourselves kings of war! Untouchable! Yet here your crown lies shattered on the ground, broken by the feet of those you considered beneath yourselves."_ _

__Thermidor clearly blamed the Ark, Berlioz and Rayleonard for his situation all those years ago. He had been the only test candidate close to Thermidor's ranking during the program. Perhaps if Thermidor had been the only test pilot who met the grade, he would have been accepted despite his violent disposition._ _

__"I'm not sorry to see this Ark burn down. Your time at the top has come to an end."_ _

__Unsung pulled Supplice in close, so that pale turquoise eye burned through the gap Berlioz could see through._ _

__"As for you, I hope you enjoyed your years of power. Were they worth it? Did you feel like you had earned them? I guess it doesn't really matter anymore. I've enjoyed this, though I do wish you'd put up a better fight. It was rather disheartening to kick a wounded dog around but I suppose at the end of the day beggars can't be choosers can they?"_ _

__He laughed, a deep booming laugh like he would explode if he didn't let it out._ _

__"Isn't it wonderful that we could meet again like this? I used to think of you almost as a rival, maybe even a friend. But the closer you get to someone, the easier it is for them to stab you in the back, I'm not wrong am I?"_ _

__Berlioz's face was wet from the tears leaking down his face, the blood and sweat. He wished it had never turned out this way. Maybe if he'd died, none of this would have happened. So selfish. So selfish._ _

__"There's not much left in you is there? There wasn't much to begin with really. You are no one, and you are nothing. Now Lamond, tell me, what is the best thing, a false king can do when presented with the truth of himself? Hmmm?"_ _

__The joint in Unsung's elbow creaked slightly._ _

__"He can fall."_ _

__With that, Thermidor threw him over the edge._ _

__

__Berlioz had a lot of regret in his life._ _

___Everyone._ _ _

__There were so many things he wished he could have taken back_ _

___I'm so sorry._ _ _

__The thousands dead and buried._ _

___I let you all down._ _ _

__The families left broken because of his actions._ _

___I was wrong._ _ _

__Funerals he missed because too many knew he did it._ _

___I was selfish._ _ _

__Friends forgotten, left behind in the dark._ _

___I wasn't strong enough._ _ _

__So many broken promises._ _

___I hope you can all forgive me._ _ _

__So many unfulfilled wishes._ _

___Alicia, I wish I could say I'm sorry._ _ _

__He couldn't wash the blood off his hands._ _

___I wish I could say goodbye._ _ _

__Maybe there would be a time when he could be forgiven._ _

___I hope you know I cared._ _ _

__There would be a time when he could live normally._ _

___I hope you're safe and happy._ _ _

__Wouldn't that be nice?_ _

___That you aren't scared or alone._ _ _

__Falling was strange._ _

___I'll see you again._ _ _

__Those seconds of weightlessness, it wasn't something he ever really got used to._ _

___Someday in the future._ _ _

__It was always unnerving._ _

___I'll be around for you._ _ _

__But this time, it was ok, he didn't mind the feeling._ _

___So we can be a family again._ _ _

__He was so tired._ _

___Just like we were supposed to._ _ _

__So very tired._ _


	14. The Persistance of Loss

Supplice hung in the air for a split second. A moment later, it dropped like a stone, plunging through the clouds, disappearing.

He didn't want to believe it. It had all seemed unreal. Berlioz was gone. Only moments ago he was there on the deck fighting, now he was dead. The one person Elijah had just, assumed would survive any and all conflict had been killed in a minutes long duel.

It hadn't even been that much of a fight, even from the transporter he could see the state of Supplice from where they were. Not to mention the condition Berlioz had been in just the day before. It hadn't even been twenty four hours. There was no way they had been on equal footing, not that it mattered now.

Elijah had to wonder, what had been going through his head. What compelled him to fight to that bitter end on the deck of the Ark? To stand against the enemy he clearly had no chance of beating.

An enemy to, at the very least, Elijah's surprise, was in possession of a Primal Armour system just like Supplice's. Although he didn't know exactly how they stacked up against each other due to the damage that Supplice had sustained.

Why was he even trying to think like this? How could he compartmentalize this into something to be analyzed and broken down into something so simple?

Berlioz was dead. Their best chance at winning the war was gone and their home was burning in the dying light of day.

Just staring down onto the black unknown AC, now standing alone at the edge of the Ark was enough to chill him. He felt sick, his knees were weak. Monsters like this Maximilian did exist, they were very real. Not only were they real, they were horrifyingly powerful. This man, terrified him.

Sajjan wore the same stunned expression on his face, unable to comprehend what they had both just witnessed.

All of the GA fighters that had been orbiting the Ark renewed their attack, diving in and swarming like vultures over a carcass. Maximilian turned away from the deck's edge, walking to recover the strange rifle he had dropped during the fight.

This time, the attack jets weren't haphazardly firing onto the Ark, they were specifically hitting the underside. Missile impacts and streaks of gunfire flickered in the dying light as they couldn't directly see what was happening from their position.

Panic was starting to set in. Waves of it rushing over him like iced water. He knew exactly why they were attacking the underside of the Ark. The vulnerable engines that held their home in the sky were protected as well as they could, but that wouldn't stop a well-placed missile disabling it.

_But wait, we still…_ The bottom of his stomach fell out. They still hadn't heard back from Tom, he could still be on the Ark.

He nearly fumbled the phone in his hands as he pressed the call button, Tom's number still input from earlier. Holding it up to his ear, he silently prayed for an answer.

"Elijah!? Holy shit where are you guys?!"

There was some hope to hold on to. Elijah grabbed Sajjan, dragging him in close while switching the phone to speaker.

"Tom! We're orbiting the Ark at a safe distance, where the fuck are you?! Are you on a transporter!?"

"I'm on the last one! We're sitting by the hangar doors to the runway but the pilot can't leave because of the GA fighters! Berlioz is taking his sweet time clearing us a path out of here!"

Of course, Tom didn't know what had happened. If the transporter's internal speakers weren't active when Maximilian gave his speech, they wouldn't be able to hear it.

Sajjan spoke before Elijah could, "Tom, Berlioz is dead, he's gone, there is no more cover! Y-"

He heard the rumble over the phone before it passed through the transporter a moment later. Both Sajjan and Elijah ran to the window to confirm it. From one side of the Ark, a torrent of thick black smoke pouring out from under the Ark.

You could see it even from the transporter, the entire structure of the Ark slowly beginning to list to one side.

Maximilian had picked the rifle back up from the floor. If Tom didn't get out of there now, that AC could kill him and everyone else on the transporter.

Elijah was shouting now, unable to hide the fear in his voice, "Tom you need to get the fuck off the Ark right now! They're taking out the Ark's engines and the guy that killed Berlioz is still out there!"

"Wait what?!" Tom's incredulous reply wasn't what Elijah was expecting considering his situation, "One guy killed Berlioz!? Who is he? Some kind of fucking super soldier?"

"Not fucking important right now! Do you have a line to the pilot? Get him to take off right now!"

Sajjan shook his shoulder slightly, "Elijah…" But he shook it off, he didn't have time, he needed Tom to get out of there, why couldn't Sajjan understand that?

He heard muffled yelling over the line. It wasn't long before Tom came back, "Alright we're getting ready to roll off! Remind me to kick the pilot for being a jackass though!"

Did Tom not get what was going on? Was he really so cavalier that he could be cracking jokes now? But at the end of the day, he'd always been like that. Maybe it wasn't that he didn't understand, instead he chose to keep calm and try to keep everyone else's spirit up at the same time.

It was entirely likely that the people on that transporter could use someone like Tom. Someone to try and keep their minds off what was happening.

"Fine just… Just stay on the line, don't hang up until you're safe alright!?" It was more of a comfort thing for him and Sajjan but there was no way he could admit it.

"I ain't going nowhere don't worry, you should be able to- Ow stop shoving! To see us on the runway now!"

True to his words, from the window Elijah could see the transporter slowly taxing onto the runway, its wings folding out.

The runway itself was a mess, covered with craters from missile impacts, debris from the Ark and crashed fighters strewn across it. Had it been any ordinary day, they would have shut the runway down and worked on it night and day to get it back up to the high standard needed.

However from his position, at the same time as seeing the transporter, he noticed that Maximillian's AC was slowly making its way towards the upper deck, its boosters carrying it slowly up through the air before gently alighting.

Wait, he's… His blood turned cold. "Oh fuck…" He didn't even mean to mutter it aloud but he couldn't help it, he was already half way to Havok's gantry by the time he realized what he was doing.

He shouted out to the pilots, "Pilot! Open the rear hatch! Right fucking now! I'm heading out there!"

The reply was instant and not exactly unjustified, "What the fuck are you talking about? There's no way you'd make it to the Ark from here!"

"Then take us in closer! Just do it!" He couldn't think about the logistics, he just needed to stop Maximilian. He needed do something, anything.

"Like fuck I am! You're in the wrong damn gantry anyway, you can't get past White Glint!"

"Sajjan will move jus-"

"Raven! I am not, opening the fucking hatch!"

"I will bring this transporter down in a heartbeat if you don't open that fucking hatch!" Elijah was screaming now, no regard to his raw throat.

A dull yelling from his phone snapped him out of it, "Elijah! What the fuck are you screaming about?!"

Why was he screaming? He looked back through the closest window.

"Take off now! Take off now, get in the fucking air!"

Sajjan shook him, "Elijah, stop…"

"Holy fucking shit Elijah we're just going now! It's fine! Everything is fine!"

Just as he heard Tom speak, the head of Maximilian's AC snapped to the transporter slowly accelerating down the runway, bouncing along as it rolled over the craters and rubble.

As the transporter picked up speed, almost at the take-off speed, the black AC leapt from the opposite side upper deck of the Ark, boosters burning bright to land next to the runway in only seconds.

_No. Please. Don't._

He could see it happening, it was like everything was underwater, moving in slow motion. Couldn't he do something? Anything? He didn't want to watch. He didn't want to see this.

But he couldn't tear his eyes away, the phone still pressed against his head.

"T-tom… Tom…"

The transporter lifted away, but the black AC had already made its move.

"Dude, don't worry, everything is gonna be fine."

"Tom, I-I'm so s-sorry" He was crying now, he wanted to be sick. He couldn't stop looking.

"Everything is fine, right guys? It's fine no-"

Maximilian's AC jumped into the air, a smooth controlled motion, sailing forwards on its boosters.

It dropped straight down onto the transporter, even from where they were, he could see the metal buckling under the weight. The balance of the transporter thrown off by the sudden increase in mass, rocking from side to side.

"Jesus fuck what the hell was that!? Did something crash into us!? Elijah! Can you see us?"

He couldn't move. He couldn't say anything. Only able to choke out a gurgle, his throat seized up. That black AC aimed its gunblade straight down, unflinching.

_I'm so sorry, Tom._

"Elijah! Are you still there? Hey, don't panic guys, it's nothing, a friend of mine is looking out for us! We're o-"

The line went dead. Maximilian firing again and again and again. Every round punching clean through the transporters hold. He kicked away, throwing the plane off course, still firing down.

One wing broke away, scattering into flaming wreckage as the engine came apart spraying burning fuel across the sky.

The rest of the transporter followed a moment later, disintegrating into a ball of fire and debris. Some of it wasn't metal or glass, bodies, or at least parts of them were scattered in the blast. Streams of smoke trailing behind the still burning pieces.

It was over in seconds, the small cloud drifting apart in moments. There was nothing left, no evidence.

Elijah's though process was stuck, constantly looping over the last minute, those few, last words. Running through the back of his head.

_Everything is fine._

An optimist to the end.

This man, no, this monster, Maximilian Thermidor, Elijah had only known him for not even twenty minutes. In that time span he had killed the man that he'd looked up to for so long, the man he'd wished he could have helped. He killed a dear friend of theirs in cold blood, not to mention everyone else on the transport with Tom.

There was no place on Earth for a thing like him.

The strange noise to his right distracted him, he turned to look at Sajjan.

He'd tried so hard to hold it together. In the face of your home burning, you could only keep it in so long. There was only so much pain even a man like Sajjan could take before breaking under the pressure.

Elijah watched as the walls Sajjan held strong for so long came tumbling down. The tears rolling down his face, and a howl of agony he could never match. A gut wrenching cry of pain that was burned into his memory.

He pounded his fist against the window, then the side of the hold in a vain effort to do something, anything as he sunk down to his knees.

Sajjan's shoulders heaved as he sobbed, his entire body literally shaking with absolute despair. He couldn't contain it, the grief and the sadness was just too much.

Elijah would have joined him if he hadn't felt the transporter shake just like before when he'd be speaking to Thomas while he was still in the Ark.

Looking away from Sajjan, he could see it, that thick black smoke pouring out from another side of the Ark.

Another engine had failed.

The Ark's list became even more pronounced, tilting to one side as the other engines could no longer support the great weight.

A scattering of turrets were still firing, a hopeless effort in the face of everything. There was no point, it was the last, desperate swipes of a dying animal, knowing its end was so close.

He hoped those who had stayed behind, believed they were making a difference, that their actions meant something. Dying, knowing that they were achieving nothing, would be nothing short of tragic.

But he knew that. He knew that they were throwing their lives away, a final act of defiance in an already lost battle. They could never win, not now, not ever. The moment GA's assault against the Ark was set into motion they had lost.

Perhaps if they'd had adequate warning, time to prepare themselves for the onslaught, maybe then they could have pushed through, but with the introduction of Maximilian Thermidor to this conflict, could even the combined might of all the Ravens be enough to bring him down?

From the Ark came a great and terrible groan, that of metal beginning to tear apart, the glass windows that hadn't already been broken, shattered outwards from some unseen force.

Now tipping at an extremely dramatic angle, the outer layers of the Ark began to split open, great fissures in the surface rippling along from one side to the other.

It wasn't perfectly down the middle, off to one side slightly, likely weakened by repeated missile impacts on the deeper layers after the outer ones had been blown away.

In only seconds, the internal structure of the Ark gave way as well, breaking like someone was ripping it apart. The central column that held the Administration departments, the Command Centre and the Governor's Office up crumbled as its supporting structure fell apart, the entire thing coming down on itself.

The guns went silent.

The Ark split in two, with the smaller half falling away, carving a great wound in the clouds below it as it punched through. The other half held a moment longer, engines failing to compensate for the massively unbalanced weight they now had to manage.

Eventually it rolled over, dropping after the other half.

The explosion from the Ark crashing down to Earth was large enough that it boiled away the clouds above it as the fireball flared upwards. Black smoke replaced it, a towering column of darkness that blotted out the little light the Sun still gave out.

The inferno raging at the crash site gave the bottom a deep crimson and burnt orange glow, like the smoke was pouring out of Hell itself. Why even make it an indirect comparison? It was Hell. Nothing could have survived. His home had been reduced to wreckage and fire. The one he had spent so long looking up to and aspiring to be had been mocked, beaten and broken before being killed.

A friend was murdered, he watched and listened as his life ended. This wasn't real was it? This is some nightmare, right?

Elijah looked back to Sajjan, now silently shaking, on his hands and knees with his head hanging low.

"S-sajjan?" He reached out, trying to offer some comfort, or to be comforted. Sajjan turned his head ever so slightly, you nearly couldn't see his eyes through the swelling.

He mumbled something almost inaudible, Elijah crouched down to try and hear him better, "What? I-I didn't catch that."

Sajjan spoke very deliberately, with no waiver in his voice.

"Get away from me."

Elijah froze, before very slowly backing away. That bile in his throat was burning, he wanted to wake up. This couldn't be happening.

Putting his back to the hold wall, he slumped down, clutching his knees to his chest. Breaths coming in shaky between the choked sobs.

The pilot's voice came over the hold speakers, "U-um, I'm getting a message from what appears to be the Leonemeccanica Headquarters? I'm… I'm gonna patch it through."

Elijah didn't move, he didn't reply. He just listened.

The speakers crackled slightly as the new signal came through, "-ain, this is the Leonemeccanica HQ Venture, calling on all frequencies to the survivors of the Raven's Ark, is there anyone there? Anyone please, this is the Leonemeccanica Headquarters calling any survivors of the Raven's Ark."

The pilot answered, beginning to explain the situation to the person on the other end of the channel. Elijah stopped listening at this point. He didn't need to hear it again.

It was only minutes ago, how could you forget? He just wished he could do something, talk to anyone. How could anyone other than those here relate to such a loss? People could look sad, nod their heads and say, 'I can only imagine'. But that's the truth of it, isn't it?

You can only imagine.

They'll likely go through their lives, losing loved ones to time, but nothing else. The natural order of things going as it should. Was what he had before a natural order? Was that just the way things went for him?

That was all gone now. Burned to ash. Tom's last words still ringing loud, in the back of his head.

_Everything is ok._

The transporter began to bank a hard left, Elijah now listening again to the pilot, "Alright, we're forming up with the remaining transporters, everyone is heading to the Venture so it won't be long before we touch down."

Again, no reply. Elijah's face was pressed into his knees, trying to hold himself together. If he didn't, he'd fall apart.

_Everything is ok._

_Everything is ok._

_Nothing is ok. It will never be ok._


	15. A Dividing Line

Leonhardt sat with an elbow propping his head up, the bright lighting of the boardroom helping to keep his eyes open. Typically he would be the first to call someone out on their apparent inattentiveness, however the last few nights had been particularly poor on sleep. Not to mention several deployments sent to him directly without warning meant the routine he'd only just established was completely thrown out the window.

He couldn't even enjoy the view as the boardroom windows had thick black curtains drawn to keep any prying eyes out. Situated near the very top of the building, you could see for miles across the baked desert. There wasn't much to see now as the Sun had set, but it was pretty awe inspiring during the long summer days.

That said, the view in the opposite direction was equally impressive. The Rosenthal Complex was a shimmering crown of civilisation, tucked away with its back to a cliff face. The jewel at the heart of this crown was Silverlight, the official headquarters of the Rosenthal Corporation.

A shining tower of glass and metal standing over three hundred meters tall, it was virtually impossible to miss. Particularly when the Sun was high and the sky clear, it lit up like a beacon, a gleaming light in the lonely expanse of dust and dirt.

Although, in this progressively stuffier boardroom filled almost exclusively with very uptight people, he wasn't exactly able to enjoy the building to its fullest.

Mr. Peter Hill, the Director of Finances for Rosenthal had spent the last fifteen minutes talking and listening to him was like a drill grinding into his head. Leonhardt wasn't obligated to sit in on this meeting, his parent had requested that he sit in.

It wasn't hard to see why, this was supposed to be an upper level management bi-annual meeting to discuss near future aims for the Corporation, something that was of genuine interest and use to Leonhardt. But instead this jacked up fool was attempting to tell everyone why their margins had dropped three point seven percent in the last year.

It had become clear to Leonhardt years ago that his own skill did not lie in corporate management, he had knowledge of the inner workings of Rosenthal Corporation from his years of working for it outside of the more traditional roles as well as his obvious connection to the Corporation.

Mx. Alex Rosenthal.

The head of the Rosenthal Corporation for the last eighteen years after their father passed away in an accident. They were also Leonhardt's parent. It wouldn't be accurate to call them imposing, but Alex's position and reputation as a particularly effective leader meant that after only a few minutes, people would usually listen to what they had to say.

They had taken the Corporation from a moderately successful but waning producer of fairly high quality AC parts and MTs to one of the three leading Corporations, known worldwide for their reliability and their surprising drive to support civilian investments.

This was something that had brought significant positive attention to Rosenthal, their efforts to improve the conditions of those under their care to degrees considerably above the legal standard was of great note in an age where personal comforts were typically reserved for those that could afford them.

In the short term, it cost the Corporation a considerable amount of its amassed wealth, leading to several board members, even some still in the room with them right now, to give a vote of no confidence in them.

Of course, they wouldn't be the CEO of the Corporation had that vote gone though and within only a few years, Rosenthal's newfound reputation carried them to new heights of popularity, with sales spiking upwards.

At the same time as supporting the civilian population, they were able to provide larger budgets to their research and production divisions which in turn lead to the quality of their products rising.

At the same time, Rosenthal bought the small Saudi-Arabian Corporation Omer Science Technology, for their innovative weapon designs as well as experiments into alternate power sources.

Rosenthal supplied them with their own research facilities and gave them considerable grants to fund their research projects. It was Omer's efforts into directed energy weapons and new generator technology that allowed for the development of the latest generation GN-HOGIRE generator in conjunction with the prototypical EC-O307AB 'wing' energy cannons. Those cannons gave Noblesse Oblige its signature image and its strongest offensive capability.

Noblesse itself was a representation of the Corporation as a whole, a moderately priced but notably high quality frame, with a very standard pairing of weapons along with a weapon system you couldn't find anywhere else.

A combination of the common and the unique.

However, none of his Corporation's history and legacy matter to a certain Mr. Peter Hunt, Director of Finance, who was still at this point on an unbroken tirade, now trying to point out how cutting funds from a program that assisted people in buying prosthetic limbs for a considerably reduced price, was a move they all needed to agree on, due to afore mentioned margin losses.

Leonhardt wasn't entirely sure how many people were taking him seriously, but it was quite clear to see on his parent's face, that they weren't exactly impressed with the direction this meeting had taken.

They were known for allowing virtually any opinion to be aired with the time it needed to be properly discussed but this man was quite clearly taking advantage of this quality.

He paused for a moment, Alex taking the opportunity to raise a hand, silencing Peter, "Thank you very much Mr. Hill, I do appreciate your dedication to the financial success of the Corporation." They shifted slightly in their chair, looking to some paperwork infront of them, "I would however, like to take a vote as to whether or not the rest of this boardroom believes this to be a topic that we should be focusing on at this time?"

Alex peeked over their glasses, casually brushing the short tip of silver hair away that had fallen over the frame.

Coughing quietly and beginning to look nervous, Peter mumbled, "O-of course." Before sitting down.

Now leaning back, Alex said very clearly, "All here who wish to continue exploring the topic of fund diversion from particular projects please raise your hand and say 'Aye'."

Peter attempted to quickly raise his hand and speak, but in the face of absolute silence with not a single person raising their hand, he sheepishly lowered his arm. Although the quiet room did little in hiding the bitter, "If only he knew how to run this Corporation." Muttered under his breath.

Nobody said anything. The mistake, intentional or not, was one that Peter should have known better than to make. Leonhardt began to stand, intending to remind him who exactly he was speaking to when Alex very gently lifted a hand, looking at Peter.

"Mr. Hill, I feel a slight chill coming on, would you be so kind as to make me a mug of coffee?" They said this with an uncommon smile on their face, one Leonhardt had only seen when someone had managed to genuinely fuck up.

It was at this point Leonhardt knew where the power dynamic between these two people was weighted. As Peter very shakily stood up again and looking very pale said, "Of course Pers." Before shuffling slowly around his seat, pushing it in and walking around the desk in the centre of the room, all eyes following him.

"Thank you Mr. Hill, I appreciate it." That same sickeningly sweet grin on Alex's face as they watched him open the door to leave. He nodded with a weak smile before walking out, the door shutting itself a moment later.

Alex quickly looked to Leonhardt, their expression neutral again, "Leonhardt, would you do the honours?"

"Of course." He stood up, walking over to the door and turning the lock, preventing Mr. Hill from returning. Sitting back down, Alex looked back to the remaining board members.

"Now, I understand that Ms. Makuria has something to report from the R&D department?" They gestured to the woman sitting two seats down from Leonhardt's left. She opened a folder in front of her, before clearing her throat and speaking.

"Thank you Mx. Rosenthal," She turned to a certain page before continuing, "First, some good news. Dr. Jackson's team has finished their third working prototype railgun, while some initial test firings have been completed, the weapon systems themselves have been loaded onto flatbed trucks to be moved to a dedicated firing range for an extended intensive testing run."

Alex nodded, indicating for Ms. Makuria to continue. She turned to the next page, "Dr. Sheely has begun the final stages development for her solar panel alternative, with results so far indicating a significant improvement over the current technology."

"Excellent." After taking a sip of water from the glass in front of her, Alex shifted slightly in her seat, reclining back, "You said 'some good news', does this imply there was some bad as well?"

Ms. Makuria closed her folder sighing, "Yes, unfortunately one of Omer's design teams has hit a snag with one of their internal projects. Their funds have run out and are requesting an additional grant to continue their research."

A frown grew on Alex's face, "Would it be possible to at least know what our friends in Omer Science are actually working on?"

"That is another part of the problem, we don't know what exactly they are doing." Ms. Makuria looked equally frustrated, it was entirely possible that this had been an ongoing problem with Omer Science. "They are dancing around the issue and constantly turning our inspectors away. They've managed to find some legal loophole which allows to them operate under their own privacy legislation so we legally aren't allowed to force them to turn the research over."

Even Leonhardt had to express his annoyance at that, running his hand over his face, still looking between Alex and Ms. Makuria.

At the point, Alex took off their glasses and rubbing the bridge of their nose, "Get James from Legal to go over that legislation again, he's had to deal with Omer before so he should be able work around it. If not, well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I admire Omer's innovation but a subsidiary Corporation refusing to disclose research projects is cause for concern. Thank you Ms. Makuria, was that all?"

"They were the most relevant updates but I can have the rest of the file sent to you?"

"Yes that would be fine, I'll look over it later today, thank you again." Looking at the paperwork in front of them, Alex continued, "If no one else has any immediately pressing concerns?" They paused, in case anyone else spoke up.

When the silence persisted, they carried on, "If you would like to observe the image behind me?"

A small projector lowered from the ceiling as the lights dimmed automatically. Alex moved their seat slightly, allowing them to turn and face the wall and also see the board members.

Seconds later, an image flashed up, it looked like a colossal dust cloud stretching across the desert. You couldn't make out if anything was causing it due to its thickness.

Leonhardt was about to ask but someone beat him to the punch, "Uhhh what exactly is that?"

Alex held up a small remote, clicking over to the next image. This one a thermal black and white version of the same image, with the dust invisible, thousands of tiny white specks representing heat signatures.

"We took this image around half an hour ago, nearly nine hundred kilometres from the Silverlight complex."

"So, what is it?"

"Simply put, it's an army. Its current path and speed set it to arrive at the gates of Silverlight roughly nineteen hours from now."

Leonhardt lent back in his seat, allowing the board members to have their moment of panic. Of course they'd panic, direct military action against a Corporation Headquarters was unthinkable. However it would appear most of them had forgotten that something like this had already happened.

Exavil's ruins were a testament to that.

He loudly cleared his throat, everyone quickly falling silent. Alex using the sudden quiet, carried on, "They number around roughly five to six thousand strong, we don't know the exact number or composition of the force but their slower than average marching pace indicates the presence of larger or slower units than the standard GBN-02s."

A man sat next to Alex spoke up. "I presume we are to discuss a plan of action then?" Leonhardt recognised him as Rosenthal's Chief Operating Officer, David Akamine. He'd been Alex's right-hand man for years, supporting them from his first day all the way up to now. David's continued position as Rosenthal's second-in-command was secured by his competence and unwavering faith in the Corporation.

"That's exactly what we're going to do. I know I said they will reach here in nineteen hours but let's try and resolve this before then?"

One board member immediately stood up, "We should use the easiest and most readily available resource we have. We hire some Ravens and let them clean up!"

Leonhardt had to chuckle at that, drawing the man's attention to him. "What? What's so funny?" He genuinely appeared hurt.

"I'm not laughing at you, I promise. I just find it amusing, the expectation for a handful of Ravens to engage a force of that size and win? You obviously think highly of us and I appreciate that."

The board member gritted his teeth before muttering, "I'd damn well hope so for the price it costs to hire you mercenaries."

Letting the comment slide, he looked to Alex, "I'm sure the Ravens will be mo-"

There was a knock at the door, everyone in the room turned to face it. Nobody said anything until Alex spoke up, "Enter."

Opening with a slight creak, their personal secretary walked in, closing the door immediately behind them. "I do apologise for interrupting your meeting Pers, but I think you need to see this."

Alex frowned slightly, "Go ahead."

The secretary nodded before tapping a handful of times on the tablet computer they had carried in with them. A second later, the image that had previously occupied the wall behind Alex changed.

It only took a moment before people realised what they were looking at. Leonhardt was struggling to comprehend what was being shown to them. He couldn't believe it was real.

The new picture on the screen was a hazy photograph of the Raven's Ark, but it was burning in the sky, apparently under attack. He'd heard about the attack that occurred yesterday but had been assured that the Ark had survived relatively unharmed. This was entirely different.

There was extensive damage, multiple breaches to the outer sections and it looked like a great deal of the Ark's defences had been destroyed as well.

Alex's secretary spoke, sounding somewhat nervous, "This image was taken nearly an hour and a half ago by a Leonemeccanica UAV. They sent us the information along with a report."

"Leonemeccanica?" A board member scoffed, "What are we doing taking information from those runabouts? For all we know they're trying to mislead us so they c-"

"Umm, actually Sir," The Secretary interrupted, "We have corroborating reports from several Ark survivors. The information is accurate."

That sent a shock through Leonhardt. _Wait, survivors?_ "You said… You said survivors? Could you please explain what you mean?"

He needed no explanation, he knew what was coming. Hearing out loud was just going through the motions.

"Of course Sir," He flicked down on the tablet, "At roughly five pm today, an aerial attack force several hundred strong descended on the Ark. Around quarter past five, the Ninebreaker, Berlioz joined the defensive effort on the Ark's Main Deck."

_Berlioz was part of the forces protecting the Ark? I didn't think… I didn't think he cared for it…_

The Secretary continued, "At some time around six pm, an unknown Armored Core dropped to the Ark's deck, proceeding to engage the Ninebreaker."

This time Alex interrupted, "An unknown AC? I wasn't aware such a thing could ever exist?" Their question was similar to the one running around Leonhardt's head.

"Leonemeccanica's report says that the pilot calls himself Maximilian Thermidor, pilot of the Armored Core Unsung."

Maximilian Thermidor. The name rung a bell somewhere in his head, but he couldn't place it. Had someone mentioned it before?

"I'll look into this man later, please, continue." Alex motioned to the Secretary who carried on reading, scrolling down on the tablet.

"Of course Pers. Around roughly an hour later, just past seven pm, the Ninebreaker, Berlioz was defeated and killed by Maximilian Thermidor."

Genuine shock resounded through everyone in the room. Even Alex's eyes went wide. Leonhardt's heart sank. Berlioz is dead? He'd been fairly close to Berlioz and he'd considered him a friend. But there had been a lot of things he'd never learned or been able to ask. The chance to get to know him better would never come around again.

The same board member who had been so fast to doubt Leonemeccanica's information spoke up again, "Wait, Berlioz is dead? If the Ninebreaker is dead doesn't that mean the title defaults to the next ranking Raven?"

Everyone just stared at them, saying nothing. He carried on like everyone was just misunderstanding him, "Don't you get it? We have the Ninebreaker now! Now that Berlioz has proven himself to be worthless trash we ca-"

Leonhardt was on his feet before he actually thought about what he was doing, "Speak again and you'll need a stretcher to leave."

The board member sat back down in a single silent motion, staring at his folded hands. Leonhard sat down as well, "My apologies Pers, I shouldn't have spoken against a board member like that."

Alex shook their head, "I don't know what you're talking about Leonhardt, I was distracted."

A small smile worked its way onto his face while Alex motioned for the Secretary to continue, "I am sorry, we won't interrupt again."

"It's no trouble Pers." The Secretary looked back to his tablet, "At almost eight pm, the Ark's engines were attacked, leading to the Ark's destruction." He lowered the tablet, "Those were the core points of their report and the details are all available in the full file."

Alex nodded, "Thank you, I trust you can leave me a copy?" The Secretary gave a very short bow.

"Of course Pers. I will send it to you as soon as possible." With that, he turned and left, the door shutting itself soon after.

Leonhardt didn't know what to do or say. His home was gone. He hadn't even been there to see it burn down. The Ark was wreckage and ash before he even found out. Not only that, Berlioz had died without his knowing.

A friend had died and Leonhardt wasn't there to even try and stop it. Could you call yourself a friend if you let your friends die alone?

His parent's voice snapped him out of it, "We need to re-evaluate our plan of action. No longer can we rely on the strength of the Ravens to protect us. A different approach is needed."

The board member sitting next to Leonhardt spoke up, "I don't want to sound insensitive, I'm just want to say that, we do still have Noblesse Oblige, don't we? That's certainly something we must take into consideration."

Everyone turned to look at him. With the weakest smile he could force, he said, "Of course. Noblesse and I are at the services of Rosenthal. I don't… I don't have much else to fight for, do I?"

He felt two hands on his shoulders, a quick glance behind him showed that it was Alex behind him.

"Leonhardt will fight with the full support of Rosenthal behind him. Now, what is our actual plan of action?"

One of the board members at the other end of the table spoke up, "Can we ask Leonemeccanica for an airstrike on the incoming force?"

Alex shook their head, "Not at that range. If Leonemeccanica was close enough to the Ark to pick up survivors then their strike fighters are well outside their combat radius. They don't have enough airbases in the area to facilitate a long range one way hit."

"What about ground support? Leonemeccanica has a military installation nearby, could they lend any assistance?"

"It's possible," Muttered Alex. Several board members looked to be uncomfortable at the repeated mention of assistance from Leonemeccanica, apparently unaware of the fact that they had all been equally labelled as targets by GA.

"I'll try and contact them, see if we can get some help. Does anyone else have any suggestions?"

There was quiet as people thought. A board member who hadn't spoken yet now raised a hand, "Could we take the fight to them? Engage them away from Silverlight?"

Before Alex could answer, someone else spoke first, "That's a reasonable idea, but that's entirely riding on being able to match GA's military might head on. Silverlight's standing defensive force, even if bolstered by nearby bases or Leonemeccanica reinforcements would never be enough to face several thousand GA MTs."

Watching people who existed in office cubicles and never saw a second of combat trying to make military decisions was painful.

"What do we do about the civilian population in Silverlight's area of influence?"

Everyone suddenly looked at Leonhardt like he'd said something ridiculous. However Alex quickly spoke up, "This is true, we need to consider the thousands at risk."

"Are they at risk? They aren't exactly strategic targets?"

"GA levelled Exavil as their opening move, hundreds died in seconds and none of them were combatants. I wouldn't put it past them to slaughter innocents just to send a message when they've already done it before."

"What do we do then? We can't protect everyone!"

"Yes. Yes we can. We owe it to those who depend on us to survive. Those who work day and night so this Corporation can stand tall like it does. It is our duty to protect every single life that looks up to us."

Leonhardt had started talking without really knowing why, but he had to finish what he needed to say. They had to hear it.

"The machine of war I ride into every battlefield carries the name that represents that duty. Noblesse Oblige. Nobility Obligates. We, in the position of power have an obligation to those people. I would like to believe those in this boardroom hadn't forgotten that."

"Do you have a suggestion Leonhardt?" Alex asked behind him. He nodded, looking at everyone watching him.

"Yes. The most realistic chance we have to save everyone in the local area, is to evacuate those population centres to Silverlight. We contact the nearest airbase and requisition as many transporters as possible. Once everyone has been safely moved to Silverlight, we call those transporters to lift everyone, including the Silverlight staff, away to a larger population centre as far from here as possible."

A board member shifted in her seat, "What do you suppose we do about the GA force? They aren't going to wait around while we evacuate? It'll take us nearly the same amount of time for their army to arrive as it will for us to gather everyone here."

Nodding, Leonhardt replied, "We make them wait. I'll setup a defensive line between them and us. Dig in what we have and use the natural canyon wall to force them to fight us head on. We hold that line until Silverlight is completely empty. Then we can fall back to Silverlight and use its own walls to hold them as long as possible."

He felt Alex's hands tighten on his shoulders before they quietly said, "You make it sound like you won't be coming with us."

"I am under no illusion, we cannot win this fight. This is merely a delaying action to give you the time to get out. It wouldn't work if we planned on leaving at the same time."

David spoke up, "Do you think everyone will be so willing to fight and die next to you? I'm not trying to sound like I doubt our military, but some have families they will want to see."

Leonhardt lowered his head slightly, "Of course, I do understand that. This operation will be entirely voluntary. I won't force anyone who isn't willing to lay down their life to die."

"Are you sure, Son? This is what you want?" Alex's voice sounded hollow, like they already knew the answer. Just going through the motions.

"It's not what I want. It is what is expected of me."


	16. I Swallowed Hard, Like I Understood

It was hard to describe what he'd seen. Stepping off the transporter ramp onto the Venture's runway, Elijah could see everyone else who had also just arrived. Leonemeccanica staff running to help the wounded being unloaded. Others dragging bodies out of the holds.

Out of the ten transporters that left the Ark, only four made it to the Venture. Two other transporters joined them, arriving from missions just like they had. Out of the nearly three and a half thousand people that lived on the Ark, roughly two thousand died. Not even half survived.

How do you comfort those who have lost everything? You can't. There is no comfort for those people. You could hold them and reassure them as much as you wanted, but you couldn't stop them crying. Stop them begging for their friends and family to come back.

At least some of them had bodies to bury. Others didn't have the luxury, they had no mementos, no body. Others like him.

Sajjan had left the transporter as soon as the ramp dropped, going to talk with the Venture crew chief. Elijah hadn't stopped him, what could he possibly say?

Once the medic looked him over, he was cleared and sent to the berth where rooms had been setup for the Ark survivors. It was nothing fancy, a plain metal bunk frame with a small desk and chair in a corner. If there'd been a toilet in a corner, you could have passed it off as a prison cell.

Elijah had passed on anything to eat, choosing instead to have a shower and change into some loaned tracksuits before retiring to bed immediately. He needed time to process, to think. Time wasn't flowing properly. It was like the fall of the Ark had been so long ago, but at the same time, he was very aware it had barely been hours.

He'd taken the bottom bunk, so for now it was a choice of staring at walls or staring at the underside of the top bunk.

He couldn't hear much from where he was, so being able to tell if someone was about to enter the room would be virtually impossible until they actually opened the door.

The Venture staff had put him and Sajjan together in the same room simply because they had come in on the same transporter. He wasn't entirely sure if Sajjan would have chosen the same arrangement considering...

_Get away from me._

A very clear request. It wasn't something he would have expected from him, Sajjan hadn't once in all the years he'd known him, been anything but compassionate, kind and caring to any and all. Even those that treated him differently, he'd always been the better man.

Maybe now it was a little too much for him. His selflessness had cost him, cost him his kindness and for one moment, he had to be cruel to survive.

That had to be it, right?

It wasn't hard to remember that look on his face. The entire event was still running on loop in his head, over and over.

His home, burning in the evening sky.

Berlioz being thrown off the edge.

Tom's last words.

The fall of the Ark.

Again and again, moments burned into his mind that couldn't be shaken free. He could see that same look in every other survivor's eyes. You could see when someone's fight was done. When they wanted no more. To stop the pain. That light, snuffed out.

The Venture crew could give as much support as they wanted, all the blankets, beds and hot meals possible. But it would never be enough.

Elijah heard the sound of someone inputting the code to the room, rolling over he pretended to be asleep. It was just easier that way.

With his face to the other wall, he couldn't actually confirm it was Sajjan, but nobody else had been given access to this room so there was little point in even trying to guess otherwise.

The person who'd entered didn't say anything, instead, climbing up the ladder that connected the upper and lower bunks. A stranger wouldn't do that, had to be Sajjan.

He remained silent, not wanting to give up his ruse if he could. Pretending to be a sleep wasn't difficult. However, after only a few moments, Sajjan spoke.

"Are you awake?" He said, quietly. If he'd said it any lower than that, Elijah wouldn't have been able to tell what he said.

"Yeah." No point avoiding him if he wanted to talk.

He heard the sheets rustle slightly above him, "Why were you pretending to be asleep when I came in?"

_Seriously? He's gonna get on my case about that now?_

"I… I didn't know if you'd wanna talk, it just seemed easier…" Elijah had no idea what to say. His guts were churning from anxiety. Talking to Sajjan shouldn't feel like this, he'd always been able to talk to him. These nerves weren't normal.

Then again the situation wasn't normal. They weren't back at the Ark's bar chatting about mission reward fluctuation or new parts coming out on the market. They were effectively refugees with no home to speak of anymore.

Sajjan didn't reply, so Elijah hedged his bets on at least trying now. "D-did you want to talk?"

"No Elijah, I don't"

His answer was short, none of the warmth he remembered. He knew that Sajjan must be going through the same pain as he was, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Sajjan's hostility right now was definitely directed at him.

"Why n-not?" He could feel himself shaking, shivering. Nervousness robbing him of his ability to remain calm. They had to talk this through, they had to. The two of them c-

"Elijah don't. Just don't, ok? Please don't push the issue."

"What issue?" Elijah was raising his voice now, the nerves chewing away at him faster like a grinder carving his body up from the inside. "The issue that our home has been torn out of the sky? That our best chance in this fucking war is dead? That Tom is g-"

"Elijah!" Sajjan was shouting now, "Shut up! Just shut up! I said don't push the issue and what do you do?! I am begging you, please do not make me say i-"

Elijah matched Sajjan's volume, now out of the bed, standing facing the bunk, "Make you do what?! Huh?! Say what?! You got something to say buddy I'm all ears!"

He was silent, saying nothing. Having given the vaguest hint of something, Sajjan had now decided to withhold that something and it frustrated Elijah to a point he didn't think possible.

"Sajjan, just fucking sa-"

In a flash, Sajjan was leaning over the side of the bunk, his face puffy and wet. Those eyes boring into Elijah's.

"Because it's your fault! Tom is dead because of you!"

His train of thought derailed.

"W-what?" Speaking was difficult, let alone trying to construct any sort of meaningful reply.

Sajjan continued, all attempts at containing himself abandoned, "You didn't listen to me, I told you to stop but you carried on regardless!"

He was still trying to think what Sajjan could possibly be talking about, mentally sifting through those moments prior to Tom's death, anything that could have been the cause.

"Why didn't you l-listen Elijah? I told you to s-stop talking…" Sajjan was trying to speak through the sobbing, words choking in his throat, "W-why didn't you realise? If Maximilian c-could broadcast himself, w-what was stopping him listening to our communications?"

It only took Elijah a second to piece together what Sajjan was saying, the horror both at his realisation and also at what Sajjan was implying.

"Y-you drew his attention t-to the transporter. You should have known h-how cruel he was, what kind of man he was. Y-your begging and pleading was too much for him to ignore and he killed everyone on that transporter because he knew you were listening!"

It had to be the grief, right? There was no reason for Sajjan to hold him accountable, was there? Elijah couldn't be to blame? He wasn't thinking straight, neither of them were. They should just be talking. Not fighting.

"Hundreds dead because you couldn't just shut u-"

"Enough!" Elijah was shouting back now, "What the fuck are you talking about?! How can you fucking blame me?! I didn't pull that goddamn trigger!"

"You gave him his target! Maximilian would not have been so desperate to bring that particular transporter down if he didn't know he'd be destroying someone else in the process!"

"And why is that my fucking fault?! Because I was trying to save a friend?!" That bile was rising again, the churning in his stomach. How could this be happening? They had lost so much already, so much taken from them and now this?

"Because you didn't listen! You didn't think! You panicked and over three hundred people died because you couldn't keep calm!"

It was like someone was screaming inside his head. He was staring at the floor and it was getting hard to breathe.

_It's your fault._

_It's your fault._

_It's your fault._

He couldn't shake it, it dug its way into his thoughts like a parasite, a horrific creature taking root in the dark corners of his mind.

"No, it's not my fault. What gives you the fucking right to say it's my fault?" Elijah was shaking, a violent combination of nerves, sickness and anger taking his autonomy away from him, "After everything we've been through today, you put this on me? You fucking give me this?!"

Sajjan had laid back down, facing away from him. Having spoken his piece, he clearly had nothing left to say.

"No, fuck you. Fuck you! I don't accept that guilt! I won't let you put it on me!" Elijah turned away from the bed, walking to the door. He opened it, but before he left he turned back, "You know what I think? I don't think you can cope with your own guilt, you can't cope with the idea that you couldn't stop it happening. Well guess what! Both of us, are guilty! We both stood by and watched!"

He backed out of the door, still facing Sajjan's silence, "We both carry that shame, so don't fucking lump me with yours!"

The door closed quietly.

Elijah put his back to the wall next to the door, sliding down to that familiar position, pulling his legs in to his chest.

There was no bed for him. No peace. In the silence, he could slowly hear it. Once you hear a noise in the quiet, you can't stop hearing it. Growing louder and louder the more aware of it he became.

The sound of thousands, sobbing and crying, mourning their dead friends, their dead family.

It was all he could hear, the sound of despair, lulling him to sleep.

Elijah's eyes slowly peeled open. The wall and door in front of him coming into view through the bleary haze that came with waking up. Pulling his phone out of his tracksuit pocket, the time reading that barely hours had passed since falling asleep.

He wasn't going to check if Sajjan was still asleep, there was no benefit to disturbing him. If Sajjan had turned his back on him then so be it, he'd leave him to sort himself out if there was nothing Elijah could do.

The hallway was quiet now, he couldn't hear anything. But he was rapidly becoming aware of the fact it had been nearly twenty four hours since he last ate anything resembling a decent meal.

Back on the Ark, due to the irregular lives that Ravens and their supporting staff led, the cafeteria had always been open at all hours, every single day. He wasn't entirely sure if the Venture had a similar setup.

Slowly, he picked himself up from the heap he had slipped into and looked for any sign of a refectory or mess hall. The Venture was an interesting hybrid of Corporation Headquarters and a fully functional airborne aircraft carrier, it's size was approaching the scale of the Ark if short by nearly a kilometre from end to end.

It was a mix of commercial infrastructure with administration wings and accounting departments, as well as pilot simulators and aircraft hangars.

Almost immediately after leaving the berths where the survivors slept, he came across a large sign on a wall with arrows pointing towards different levels and rooms. Scanning through, he saw that a cafeteria was located on the same floor he was on, down the corridor to his right

Elijah had to follow several of these signs pointing him towards the cafeteria, passing a handful of Venture staff still up at this time. He hadn't walked by anyone else wearing an Ark jumpsuit or one of the same loaned tracksuit, assuming that everyone else who had been brought aboard was asleep.

He was immediately proven wrong when he stepped into the cafeteria hall to see one person wearing a grey tracksuit identical to his, another was wearing what looked like a Raven's standard issue reinforced jumpsuit. It was being worn half done up, with the top tied around the person's waist and a plain white shirt worn in its place.

Without the identifying patches, Elijah could only guess at her identity.

There was a third sitting on the same table, a little way down the table but still looking to be part of whatever conversation they were having.

A smattering of others, Venture staff, were scattered across various tables, eating and talking. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, all the voices blending into a low murmur. Elijah wasn't trying to make it out, the background noise was both a comfort and a curse. Always a chance people were talking about you but you'd never be able to tell.

Making his way to the serving line, he picked up a tray and grabbed a bottle of sparkling water. Moving along to the hot food section, he had a meagre selection to choose from. Not that he should have been expecting a variety of dishes at a time like this.

The only thing on offer was a chicken broth apparently made from the left overs of the previous meal. A single medium sized bowl was placed on his tray by the staff working on the other side, he took a roll of bread from a basket at the end of the line before he scanned across the room looking for somewhere to sit.

Sitting alone on a table could potentially draw attention to himself, but he also didn't want to do the obvious and sit with the other group from the Ark.

He made a compromise, sitting on the table next to theirs, within a reasonable distance so he didn't appear to be singling himself out but also not close enough to look like he was part of the group.

Elijah started eating, breaking the roll into chunks and dipping it in the broth. It wasn't exactly the best thing he'd ever had, the broth was a little watery than he'd like and the roll had begun to go stale from sitting out in the open for so long. But it was hot and filling, which was all he'd wanted.

Without realising, while eating, he'd started to listen in to the conversation the other Ark survivors were having.

"No, they won't. Leonemeccanica is helping us because they were close by, had it been out of there way we'd have never had a chance." That was the woman with the jumpsuit around her waist speaking. Looking perhaps nearly as old as Sajjan, she had dark brown hair turning blonde half way, coming down just past her shoulders. A lithe frame typical of most Ravens, likely hiding a surprising strength. From the short glance he couldn't get a good look at her face as her back was to him.

The woman opposite her frowned. She looked older than most, a subtle worn tone to her pale skin, bright blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail. She replied to the Raven's answer with a bitter tone, "Maybe if they'd been a little fucking closer none of this would have happened."

"Please stop Fiona, they did the best they could. Nothing else could have been done." This time it was the third sitting at the table speaking up, a bald man who looked like he could kill someone if he accidentally nudged them.

He had a large scar running up the right hand side of his neck that disappeared under the collar of his tracksuit top. His physical appearance was at odds with his calm and measured tone, he sounded like a man who could lull screaming children to sleep with only a few words.

_So the woman with the blonde ponytail is 'Fiona'? Who is she talking about?_

"Jan, shut up. Not what I need to hear right now." Fiona snapped back. It seemed like they were talking about the fall of the Ark. Not surprising considering it was somewhat of a hot topic right now.

_Jan, that's the man sitting with them. Are those two Ravens as well? Or just Ark staff?_

"Hey, this shit happens. We lose a lot of things to war. We grieve, we pick ourselves up and we move the fuck on. The dead wouldn't want us to waste time." The still unknown Raven spoke now, taking a long sip from a paper cup.

"I'm not envious of how easily you're dealing with this." Said Fiona as she shifted in her seat. Jan face equally looked dejected.

The Raven shrugged, "My earliest memories are watching as my home was bombed into oblivion. This wasn't that different, you get used to it."

Elijah suddenly became aware of how long he'd spent focusing, returning to the quickly cooling broth.

"Oh I'm sorry were we distracting you?"

The silence following that made it very clear that the comment wasn't directed at any of the three behind him. Turning slowly, all of them were staring at him. It was the Raven who had spoken, her hazel eyes locked straight onto his.

"I- Uh, um. I- I'm sorry." He was panicking now, unable to put together an adequate reply. Whoever this person was, they were easily one of the most intimidating people he'd ever met. Even the against the huge frame of Jan, he'd rather face him, than her.

An instant later and a wry grin had spread across her face, "Now… Don't be shy? Instead of _eavesdropping_ on us, why don't you join us? You're clearly an Ark survivor as well so where's the harm? Hmm?"

The other two didn't speak, Jan having returned to looking at a tablet that Elijah hadn't noticed before, while Fiona was picking at a bread roll.

"S-sure, thanks." Saying Elijah felt nervous would be an understatement. Perhaps if the previous day hadn't happened, if he'd had a decent night's sleep, maybe he'd be a little more confident and on the ball. But right now anyone paying attention to him was just another source of anxiety.

He slowly got up from the bench, that Raven's eyes on him the entire time. Picking up his tray, Elijah sat down again, now next to the Raven.

She gestured to the other two opposite them, "Why don't you introduce yourself?" She still had that crooked smile, like she knew something he didn't.

"Uh sure, my name is Elijah. I'm- Or I guess I was a Raven, rank nineteen, pilot of the AC Havok." He flicked his eyes from person to person, waiting for a reply.

Jan answered first, "We're still Ravens man, our home might be gone, but we're still here." He extended an arm across the table, smiling warmly, "I'm Jan. Like I said, I'm a Raven too, rank fifteen, pilot of the AC Blind Bold."

Elijah took his massive hand, trying his best to give a decent handshake. _I don't know this person, I can barely remember his name on the ranking board._ Maybe on another day he could have remembered more, but for now he had to settle for little more than a blurry name on a list that didn't really mean much anymore.

Blood rushed back into his hand as Jan let go, Fiona glancing over to him, "Fiona Jarnefeldt, I guess I'm a former Operator. Nice to meet you."

No handshake there, but she didn't frighten him as much as the Raven still sitting next to him. The last unknown at the table.

"So, who are you then?" Elijah asked, looking back at the Raven.

"Oh me?" She looked like she'd snapped out of a daze, that wry smile quickly returning, "My name is Mary Shelley, I am the number four ranking Raven and pilot of the Armored Core Prometheus."

_Seriously?_ How did this keep happening? He wanted to be excited but the emotional and physical drain of the day prevented him from completely losing his shit. Not to mention, this was the third S-Ranked Raven he'd met face to face in a timespan of less than a week.

"Well shit, that doesn't happen very often does it?" Elijah was genuinely surprised but he had to put in some effort to not sound like he was being sarcastic. "It's a real pleasure to meet you Mary."

She nodded slightly before asking, "Is your AC on board the Venture?"

"Yeah, I had just come back from a mission."

She turned to Jan, "Well that makes three then."

Elijah was confused, the conversation suddenly making no sense to him, "Wait what? Why'd you ask?"

Mary pointed to Jan, "Well until now, Jan and myself were the only two Ravens as far as I was aware that had ACs on the Venture. With you that makes three, unless you can name another?"

He winced, a very obvious name jumping to mind, one he'd thankfully been able to forget if only for a little while. But he was still a Raven and a valuable combat asset.

Elijah gave a sigh before speaking, "Yeah… I came in from that mission with another Raven and his AC. Sajjan Singh, rank nine and pilot of the AC White Glint."

All eyebrows raised. Everyone glancing at one another. Jan spoke first, "You were on the same transporter as _the_ White Glint?"

"Uhhhh, yeah? Is… Is that a big deal?" Elijah was genuinely confused, he knew that Sajjan was respected by a lot of people but perhaps not to this degree.

Mary slouched in her chair, taking another sip from her cup before saying, "Sajjan is rank nine but a lot of us suspected that his ranking doesn't accurately reflect his actual skill with an Armored Core."

She glanced at Fiona before continuing, "Even us S-Ranking Ravens, even the Ninebreaker himself recognised the pilot of White Glint as something… Something special."

Fiona's face twitched slightly but she betrayed nothing else, turning away to look at someone else who had walked in.

"That aside, that makes four of us, do we know of any others?" Jan looked between the three others around him. Elijah was in the process of trying to mentally flick through the fifty six Ravens when Fiona spoke up.

"It's not confirmed, but there is a fifth Raven potentially on the Venture, think about it."

Mary looked at her, realisation spreading across her face a moment later, "Of course…" She sounded bitter as she spat her next words out, "Leonemeccanica's pride and joy, their battlefield genius. Sara Lee, rank three and pilot of the AC Phantom."

Elijah's eyes darted between Fiona and Mary, "But we don't know if she's here, right? Could we ask someone?"

"You could," said Fiona, "But until we actually know if she's here officially it's no better than rumour."

Jan frowned, then looked up at them all, "Actually, I did see Zanni getting off a transporter alone, it's highly likely that his AC is with him." The name rang a bell in Elijah's head but he couldn't quite place it.

He decided to ask before the conversation moved on without him, "Remind me, who's Zanni?"

It was Jan who answered him, "Zanni Toplev, rank eleven, pilot of the AC Roughcut. He's a Raven favour- pardon me, previously favoured by the former Rayleonard Corporation for missions they believed to be, beneath Berlioz. Zanni wasn't exclusively contracted to them but he was certainly rewarded for his dedication to them."

"Rewarded?"

Nodding, Jan carried on, "His AC, Roughcut, is the only AC that uses Rayleonard's prototype 04-ALICIA reverse joint legs. I believe Berlioz was offered them, but turned them down for whatever reason…"

Of course he turned it down. If even Elijah could remember that name, it would have been ringing in Berlioz's head like a gunshot. Rayleonard's cruelty was unorthodox at best, naming a new AC part after his own sister held hostage by them.

"So," Elijah said, "If we say that everyone we believe is here, is actually here, that makes six total. Right?"

The other three slowly nodded, Fiona speaking next, "Six Ravens, one would dread to think what Leonemeccanica could do with that much power."

"We don't answer to Leonemeccanica though, do we?" replied Mary, finishing her drink, "At the very least I don't. I've got someone else's collar around my neck. One I am desperate to shirk."

That wry grin was back on her face as she stared down at her empty cup. Tilting it with a single finger, rolling it around the rim of its base, slowly.

"Well, for now, there's little do but wait for whatever our next move is. Until then, I'm going to bed. It's been… A long, long day." With that, Fiona stood and walked away, saying no more.

Jan stood as well, "I will follow suite and retire for the night. It was nice to meet the two of you." He gave a shallow bow before leaving, only Mary and himself sitting at the table.

"So, tell me. What were your plans? Did you have any grand designs for your life? Before all this shit happened obviously."

He wasn't expecting small talk, but he bit regardless, "Call me stupid, but, I wanted… I wanted to be the Ninebreaker. I wanted to show the world what I could do, what I could be."

Elijah fully expected Mary to scoff at him, to tell him what a worthless and pointless dream it was. Instead, he was met with silence, until, "Well, I admire your optimism, I'll say that much."

That raised his eyebrows, "Ok… What was your plan then?" Enough people had asked him what he wanted from life, he wanted to hear some other people now.

"Me? What I want is simple. Like I said, I've got a collar round my neck and I want it off. I want out. I wanted to find someone to take my place as BFF's contracted Raven."

_This is becoming a reoccurring theme._ It wasn't hard to see, it was like the higher you climbed the more you wanted to stop climbing. She continued, "I'm tired of the fighting and killing. It doesn't mean anything anymore, I've got nothing to prove. Beating Sara or Leonhardt to climb another rank or two? So what. I get a few more zeroes on the end of my pay check, big deal. What the fuck do I do with that money? I buy more bullets and kill more people. It doesn't, fucking, end."

"So why do you admire me for aiming for the top?" Everything he'd heard had told him his dream was a hollow one. That nothing but pain and regret waited for him up there.

"Because it's been a long time since I saw anyone actually openly admit that's what they wanted. I bet some Ravens want it too, but they'd never say it. They'd never tell anyone because they're afraid of what others would think."

She knocked the cup she'd been spinning over, letting it roll away from here until it stopped at the lip of the table.

"I know you were hesitant to tell me but you did anyway. I think it's good to have a goal, to have something, anything to strive for. My goal is to let go, all I have to do for that is to survive but you, you've got to fight. To fight and fight as hard as you can. A goal like that is something I wouldn't want you to forget."

Elijah was still in slight shock, no one, not even Sajjan had so openly promoted his ideal, and it was alien to him.

"When you've got your back to the wall and nothing left to fight for, you can fight for that. With nothing else on the table, at least you can aim high and say you fought for what you wanted."

She flicked the cup off the table edge, letting it skitter away.

"Isn't that something to admire?" She clapped him on the back, standing up and walking out. Leaving him alone, the broth in front of him cold, and forgotten.

#####

At that very moment, the Venture's command and control centre was the last place that Elijah wanted to be. Jan and Mary had met him on the way in and were currently providing a buffer between himself and Sajjan, who was already in the room when they had entered.

The room itself was almost exactly what he'd expected, it was roughly oval shaped with people working at large workstations, directing staff and personnel on the Venture. In the middle of the room was a large table, set up to display holographic images. Right now it was blank while Leonemeccanica executives slowly trickled in.

Elijah had managed to get the Venture staff to open another room for him as going back into see Sajjan was just too much to deal with at the time. He'd grabbed a few uneasy hours sleep before he was woken up by an announcement requesting that the Ravens who had functioning ACs on board to gather at the Venture's C&C centre.

He hadn't managed to sneak back into the room to grab his jumpsuit so he had come in the same tracksuit he'd been wearing the night before. It wasn't doing his nerves any favours as everyone else was either wearing a suit, or a jumpsuit. Drawing attention to himself was typically something he didn't mind but recently he'd rather if keeping his head down was an option available to him.

The entire time he had been standing there, Sajjan hadn't even looked at him. Whether he was deliberately avoiding eye contact or if he genuinely didn't see him Elijah didn't know but to some degree it still pissed him off. Sajjan would never condone this behaviour if the tables were turned, he'd do everything in his power to convince Elijah to apologise.

Whereas now, not a word. He was more than happy to talk to those directly next to him, but no one else.

It turned out that their prediction last night was entirely accurate. Including himself, there were six Ravens in total standing around one side of the table. He'd could see the other two that hadn't been at the table with them. A young man with extremely short blonde hair and a thin frame he assumed was Zanni Teplov, stood furthest from him. Between Zanni and Sajjan was a woman who could have passed for a teenager. He could actually see her identifying patch from where he was, meaning his guess about Zanni's identity was correct.

Sara Lee, Leonemeccanica's contracted Raven. She looked genuinely bored, blowing up at her fringe repeatedly, slowly looking around the room at people's faces. He turned away before she could see him staring at her.

He did notice Fiona standing with the executives and wondered what an operator was doing here? This made him wonder if anyone else he had originally believed to be simple chairmen and section directors were actually former Ark staff. Ravens never saw their operator's during the mission and it wasn't exactly easy to put a name to a face if it wasn't distinctive.

He leaned towards Jan, who was standing next to him, "Do we know exactly why we're all here?"

"I believe," Jan said back in a hushed voice, "That we are here for a briefing regarding operations against GA."

That made sense, so far the only strike against GA was the destruction of Motherwill. But that had proven ultimately a hollow victory as the loss of the Raven's Ark was a far greater blow.

He was about speak when the doors into the room slid open and someone he didn't recognise walked in. Her dark brown hair was tied up and she was wearing a grey waistcoat and matching trousers, making her to stand out from the sea of black suited board members and executives.

She took a place at one end of the table before speaking, all eyes following her.

"For the benefit of our guests here," She began, speaking in a clear and authoritative tone, "My name is Lorenza Capello and I am the CEO of Leonemeccanica Enterprise Group."

Elijah's attention was immediately focused on what this person had to say. The fact that the CEO of one of the now largest Corporation in the world was standing in front of him still blew his mind even after everything.

She continued, "I have gathered you all here this morning to organise a plan of action against Global Armaments. This war is barely a few days old and already we have lost two potential allies, we cannot afford to stand idly by whilst more lives are lost."

Everyone was reminded of the thousands already counted as dead. At both Exavil and the Ark. GA's hands were stained red, they had to answer for what they'd done.

"I am open to suggestion as to our plans." She took a step back, folding her arms and looking around the room.

No one said anything, glancing at one another, waiting for someone to step forward. The silence was palpable, you could have cut the air with a knife.

Elijah was startled when it was Sajjan that spoke up, his voice alone enough to trigger that anxiety again.

"Just like Ms. Capello has said, lives have been lost in even the short time that this war has been waged. We must endeavour to end this as soon as possible." He looked around at everyone, dropping his gaze before he looked at Elijah.

Elijah's hands curled into fists. _He_ is _doing it on purpose!_ But he didn't say anything, allowing Sajjan to continue speaking.

"I suggest we remove their ability to function as an organisation. We strike them at their heart, just as they have done to us. A single, decisive attack on the GA headquarters and we bring Miles Torus back to the Venture to stand trial for the crimes he has committed."

There was quiet mumbling as everyone discussed the idea. Elijah was silent, mulling it over in his head. It was just like Sajjan to propose a plan that involved capturing Miles alive. As much as he agreed with it, he wished someone else had thought of the same thing.

Lorenza clapped, everyone falling quiet. "A show of hands then? All in favour of this plan, please raise a hand."

Virtually everyone put their hand up, a certain select few appeared apprehensive at first but slowly joined the rest.

Elijah didn't move, staring at the table in front of him.

Eventually, everyone dropped their hands, Lorenza nodding and beginning to speak, "Alright, that's fairly unanimous. A strike on Maxwell it is." She picked up a tablet that was resting on the table edge, tapping it a few times before the room darkened slightly and a 3D rendering of what looked like a very large brick-like building, surrounded by smaller plain featureless structures.

"This is Maxwell, Global Armament's headquarters. Although its design is closer to that of a fortress than a commercial structure." The image zoomed out, showing the wall surrounding Maxwell as well as what looked like several large weapon installations dotted around. "Our primary concern are the large anti-aircraft cannon emplacements that deny our air forces the ability to attack. If we are to attack Maxwell, it will be a ground only operation until those guns are silenced.

Staring at the hologram, he noted there were sixteen defensive positions in total. It shouldn't be too hard to take them our early to secure air superiority.

Lorenza carried on with her briefing, "Our ground forces are limited. The Venture carries a small complement of MTs and infantry which will be deployed beforehand via transporters. They should reach engagement range roughly at the same time that the Venture reaches Maxwell."

The hologram shifted again, a representation of the Venture deploying ground forces that pushed up to Maxwell with the Venture following a moment later.

"The Venture will drop into Maxwell's firing range for only a few minutes to both deploy the Ravens here with us today, as well as to provide direct fire support for the ground push. Once Maxwell's own defensive forces have been defeated, our ground forces will storm the building and bring Miles out for extraction."

Brightly colour arrows showed the intended movement of battle groups and the Ravens, the hologram animating their advance.

Gesturing to her right, Lorenza said, "Mrs. Dana Naser has some details for the Ravens." A woman with long black hair stepped forwards slightly, "Thank you Ma'am. From our preliminary investigation, it would appear that the forces defending Maxwell are almost entirely made up of reservist units. A request for reinforcements by Rosenthal suggests that their primary fighting force could currently be engaged at this time. This improves our chances for success during the initial stages of the attack."

Jan raised his hand, Dana nodding to allow him to speak, "I wasn't aware GA had a reserve military force?"

She shook her head, "Officially they don't. This is less of a reserve and more of a militia. After doing a little digging into GA's recent activities, it appears that many families of the smaller Corporations like BFF or Arisawa, as well as those from GA's own population centres have been put into service. It's likely those protecting Maxwell are actually civilians forced to fight."

A sickness becoming all too familiar began creeping back. GA were forcing civilians to fight for them? They had to go into this fight knowing that they'd be killing innocent people in a battle they didn't even want to be in?

Jan looked as horrified as Elijah felt but said only, "I understand." He wanted Jan to say something, anyone to say something. Even Sajjan was silent at this. Elijah didn't have the guts to speak up but surely someone did. Anyone?

Dana continued in the face of the silence, "The other point of interest is the former Raven Maximilian Thermidor, who appears to be fighting on behalf of Global Armaments. We have no information regarding his whereabouts, so it is entirely possible that he could appear during this engagement. Should he arrive, we advise extreme caution should you choose to attack him. Other than that, that is all."

"Thank you Mrs. Nayer, were there any objections?"

Elijah wanted to shout, to say something, anything.

"Good, we plan on moving three days from now, please be ready by that time. You are dismissed."


	17. Everything Went Quiet

Leonhardt had no qualms in taking a few moments to enjoy the bright summer Sun as he sat on top of Noblesse Oblige. In fact, he wouldn't have blamed a soul for doing exactly what he was doing right now. Savouring what could possibly be their last chance to do this.

The heat was bearable only because the air was so dry, if the humidity had been any higher then wearing his jumpsuit would have been almost unthinkable.

In the distance to his right, he could see what looked like storm clouds rapidly approaching their position. Behind him, Rosenthal TYPE-DULAKE MTs busied themselves, fixing defensive walls and barricades into place. Driving large bolts into the hard ground with colossal hammers designed for use by MTs.

The TYPE-DULAKE was an extremely versatile design, mainly owing to do the fact that it was originally intended to function as a low cost, non-customisable AC alternative to Corporations. It was built with a humanoid frame and dexterous hands with independently jointed fingers, just like an AC. This meant it wasn't limited to a single weapon load out like the GBN-02 or the QFM-04 and could manipulate tools better than designs like the BMH-11.

This flexibility as well as a generally above average performance across the board were the reasons that the TYPE-DULAKE was held in such high-regard, competing on the same level as premium MTs like GA's GA03-Solarwind or BFF's 048AC-S. The difference being that the TYPE-DULAKE was considerably cheaper, allowing for a larger potential market.

Mixed in were the reinforcements delivered by Leonemeccanica, nearly two hundred GO-G3 MTs as well as a battalion of infantry who had been specially armed to deal with a heavy armour presence.

The GO-G3 would be a welcome balance to the mid-weight Rosenthal MT. It classified as a heavy MT, in the same class as the BMH-11 Behemoth but trading off near indestructability for considerably greater manoeuvrability. Just like the Behemoth, they carried a shield mounted to their left arm, but instead of a large bore bazooka as their weapon of choice, they could use either a high-calibre rifle or a belt fed machine gun for suppressing enemy positions while advancing under their own protection.

Rosenthal, bringing out not only the entire standing force of the Silverlight complex, but also MTs and soldiers from bases that could move to their position within the nineteen hour window.

Rosenthal's final tally came to nine hundred and twenty TYPE-DULAKEs, one hundred and ninety five GO-G3s and a regiment strength infantry force armed with missile launchers, anti-material rifles and heavy machine guns.

Those on foot would be the last line of defence, their weapons realistically unable to cope with any more than a handful of MTs. Even focused fire would take multiple hits to bring a GBN-02 down.

Currently, Leonhardt and the MTs had their defensive line established roughly five kilometres away from Silverlight, the gleaming tower visible from where he sat. A kilometre behind them was the infantry line, who had dug in trenches and sandbag walls. These were mostly for steadying weapons as MT scale weapons would blow that thin protection away in an instant.

The sound of something approaching him from behind caught his attention, twisting to his left. The deep footsteps of a TYPE-DULAKE walking up beside Noblesse shook him even sitting down.

This particular MT had three thick, blue stripes painted across one shoulder and the side of its head, marking it out as a Tier-Three command unit.

Because Rosenthal's armed forces weren't a traditional army like those the countries of old used to have, they didn't use the same organisational system. There were in fact, only three ranks above the most basic frontline soldier. Those were simply Tier-One command, Tier-Two command and then Tier-Three command.

Tier-One was effectively local command only, they could give limited orders to any soldier in their squad and any squad who happened to have lost their own T1 command unit until a replacement could be found.

Tier-Two was a step up, usually in control of multiple squads of MTs, armour and general combined arms. They often were situated away from any intense fighting, giving orders to the T1s underneath them remotely, using drones to view the operation area.

Tier-Three command units were rare, Leonhardt knew of four but only knew one personally. T3 units took control of entire regions, directing dozens of combat zones at once. They were the ones pulling the strings behind Rosenthal's side of the Pax Economica, answering only to the highest members of Rosenthal directly.

The T3 unit in charge of this local area was actually a family friend, Tier-Three Commander Nathan Kai, who had known Alex and Leonhardt since he was just a child, before they were the CEO of Rosenthal.

As the TYPE-DULAKE slowly came to a standstill, the small earpiece that Leonhardt had put on prior to exiting Noblesse crackled slightly.

"I hate to ruin your day Leonhardt, but I can see them coming from here. We should be ready in time, but you should set about preparing yourself."

The voice was calm and measured. Spoken by a man who, unlike a lot of T2 and he suspected T3 commanders, had actually spent a significant amount of time in combat on the frontlines of countless skirmishes and conflict outbreaks. It was likely that Nathan would see it as a slight against those under his command if he were to be absent from the battlefield today.

"Thank you, Commander," Leonhardt replied, "I appreciate you organising everyone in such a short amount of time."

The head of the MT turned to look up at him, the TYPE-DULAKE standing a couple of meters shorter than Noblesse's TYPE-HOGIRE frame.

"It's you I'm grateful to, I was certain that Alex would try and convince you to leave with them."

Leonhardt chuckled lightly, brushing dust off the metal around him, "Oh don't worry, they tried. But I guess I finally found my stubborn side." Pushing himself to his feet, he walked over to the open cockpit, lowering himself into the seat.

A moment later, Noblesse's head dropped, sealing him in. The AC had been running idle meaning there was no need to start up. Leonhardt took the earpiece out as Noblesse's communication system had taken over the active channel.

Nathan's MT was directly networked to him, a small monitor dedicated to his own vitals, a basic readout of his MT's condition as well as a permanent secure channel open between them at all times.

He focused on the horizon, a cloud of dust building in the distance. Zooming Noblesse's optics, the faint silhouettes of something moving could be made out.

"How long do you think we have?" Asked Leonhardt, beginning to turn Noblesse around to walk back to the defensive line.

There was a slight pause before Nathan followed, saying, "I'd say… I'd say roughly twenty minutes until they're inside our firing range. Another five until they're on top of us."

Leonhard nodded reflexively, following with "Plenty of time. Is our welcome package ready?"

"Oh the red carpet is rolled out, don't worry. They'll get a reception alright." Nathan's MT pointing with its left hand towards several large trailers with cloth covers partway through removal.

Given the situation, it hadn't taken much to get his parent's support. They had kindly spoken directly to the research team developing the railgun prototypes that had been discussed in the board meeting the night before. Those prototypes were now set up just behind the forward defensive line.

Dr. Jackson had wanted an extensive test firing session, instead he was getting a live combat demonstration. A step up in his mind at least.

There were five cannons, spread evenly along the line. This was their first strike capability, Leonhardt was banking on those railguns being able to hit the GA lines before they had a chance to even begin engaging them.

It was also the only hard hitting weapon in their entire arsenal. If GA happened to bring anything bigger than a BMH-11, they would need those railguns to take it out. If it came down to the wire, he could potentially pummel a larger target into submission with his back cannons, but their energy drain would quickly become a cause for concern.

That strategy wasn't one Leonhardt wanted to rely on.

While they set up, the MTs readied their weapons, taking cover behind and around the barricades. The GO-G3s driving their shields into the ground, bracing themselves against them, weapon poking around the side

Noblesse stood slightly forwards of the line, his rifle in his right hand, the laser blade emitter mounted to his left wrist. Both cannons flared out behind him, it would be impossible for the enemy to mistake him for anyone else and he was counting on it. If he could draw any attention away from the other soldiers, he would.

A minute later, there was silence. No one moved as the GA horde began to enter visible range even without optical magnification. Everyone's eyes locked to the sights of their weapons, except Leonhardt, who stood exactly as before, both arms by his sides.

"Got anything for us Leonhardt?" said Nathan over the channel between them, "Any words of encouragement? A big speech? Isn't that what people do in these situations?" He could almost hear Nathan grinning from inside his cockpit.

"I suppose something is in order…" He trailed off, switching to an open broadcast on all channels.

"Everyone," He began quietly, "I didn't have anything planned for this. No noble rousing cry to fight behind. Because that isn't why we're fighting, is it?" He wished this wasn't so sombre, but it was the unfortunate reality of their situation, he wanted to make sure everyone knew that. "We fight out of desperation and necessity. To protect our loved ones and our children. To protect those who do not deserve the horror of war thrust upon them. We willingly shoulder that weight for them."

He wished he could say otherwise, but Leonhardt was glad that he was alone in the cockpit, so no one could see his hands shaking.

"As the orders given to you said, this mission is voluntary. Even now, that offer still stands. I won't lie to you, I don't think any of us are getting out of this alive. You can still leave if you want to."

He waited a moment, but he couldn't hear any movement.

"At the end of the day, our survival is not the objective here. We buy as much time as possible for the transporters to get here and extract everyone from Silverlight."

He took a step forwards, racking the charging handle on his rifle, "I wish it didn't have to be like this, but it's all I can honestly ask of you all."

Noblesse twisted around slightly to look back at them all, "Will you all fight and die with me today? For something more than ourselves?"

Over the open channel came hundreds of shouts, cheers, screams of hope and desperation. None of them wanted to go out this way, but they would for someone else.

The GA forces were visible now, marching slowly forwards. He could actually start to make out unit composition.

As suspected, the vast majority of the moving metal sea ahead of them were GBN-02 Gibbons, GA's workhorse MT. Scattered throughout he could make out the taller, bulkier GA03-Solarwinds, who would be priority targets.

He couldn't spot any BMH-11s, assuming that their extremely low speed prevented them from being a part of the force. However, that apparently didn't stop GA from adding something else.

Behind the hordes of MTs lumbered enormous six legged walkers, hunkered down low. He recognised them as GA-MF01s, Global Armament's current Mobile Fortress model. Mobile Fortresses were rarely deployed, being expensive and only effective in open warfare which was uncommon in days ruled by street to street urban combat.

They were normally deployed as a weapons platform, with strong long range direct fire capability and indirect support via large bore mortars and missiles.

This was exactly what he had been worried about earlier. The railguns would be the only thing that could reliably destroy those Mobile Fortresses. Even with a fully charged salvo, his wing cannons would likely only boil away the outer layers of armour, requiring several shots to cause any real damage. His best bet would be to target the legs, to at the very least prevent them from getting any closer.

He switched to a direct connection to the T1 in charge of the railgun teams, "Choose targets at your own discretion, prepare to fire on my signal."

Turning slightly, he could see the railguns rise slightly on their mountings, twitching as they made micro-adjustments to their aim, picking targets thousands of meters away.

"Targets are selected, they need to get a little closer before they are inside effective firing range. Should only be a few minutes." The T1's voice crackled back to him as he turned to look forwards again. While the railguns had a theoretical maximum range of nearly four hundred kilometres, they lost the vast majority of their killing power before covering even a quarter of that distance.

"Ok, stand by." Leonhardt said, continuing to monitor the advancing force.

He wouldn't mention it, but in particular, he was keeping an eye out for this Maximilian Thermidor. The situation would rapidly fall apart should he make an appearance.

As he did this, Nathan's voice came through the com channel quietly, "You seem awfully certain you won't survive this… How long has it been, Leonhardt?"

Leonhardt sighed a little, before answering, "Three years, one month and twenty seven days."

"Just like you to know that." There was a pause before, "It's not healthy to hang on so tight."

He frowned at that, "Killing people for a living isn't healthy, but no one seems to question that now do they?" There was a very slight bitterness to his tone, he hoped in some way that Nathan picked up on it.

He didn't indicate if he did or didn't, just continuing to speak, "I'm just worried about you. As a friend, not as a member of Rosenthal. I want to know that you're going into this fight for the reasons you just gave everyone else. Not for something you won't tell me."

Leonhardt was silent. He hated lying so not speaking was easier. It was hard to think of any kind of counter argument when your opposition was already on the mark.

"You've been waiting for this, haven't you? A battle you couldn't possibly win. A guilt-free way out. Your mission acceptance rate sky rocketed after he died. It was your coping mechanism, wasn't it? You cherished the thought of a chance to join him."

"Is now really the best time to be discussing this?" Leonhardt didn't want to try and think about it. He wanted to focus on the matter at hand but Nathan was making good use of the time given to him by the railgun teams.

"I don't know Leonhardt, at this rate, will I get another chance? Because you seem dead set on the path to self-destruction."

He couldn't argue with the truth and silence would only get him so far. "Everyone gets what they want out of this. There's nothing wrong with that."

Nathan scoffed very slightly, it was almost inaudible, "Your parent loses a son, I don't think they're getting what they want. They'd want you alive and happy."

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?"

Nothing came back, but the railgun team's T1 came through the public com system, "Confirming enemy is now in effective firing range, ready to fire on your signal."

"Understood." He raised Noblesse's left arm slowly. Clenching the machine's fist shut tight.

Those words still ringing in his ears.

_…You've been waiting for this…_

_…A guilt-free way out…_

Nathan was right, of course. Leonhardt smiled weakly.

He dropped the fist like a hammer. "Fire!"

For a moment, the air filled with a static charge, he could feel the hairs all over his body stand up as a shiver rolled over him. An instant later, a sound like thunder striking behind him rang out deafeningly as five streaks of fire cur through the air in a flash.

At this range, the railgun's magnetically accelerated projectiles, travelling at over Mach twelve, had enough kinetic energy to punch clean through literally any target imaginable.

That first salvo was devastating. Two rounds smashed straight into the lumbering Mobile Fortresses, one a clean hit passing from front to back. The great machine staggered backwards from the impact before its legs gave out and it crashed to the ground, no longer functional.

The other caught the slug in its right hand side, ploughing through the thick front armour like it didn't exist, shattering the internal mounting joints of all three right legs. The force was enough to spin it slightly before it slammed down, throwing up dust and dirt into the air.

It was hard to make out through the cloud kicked up, but from what he could see, the other three slugs had been fired into the leading line of MTs at the head of GA's force, shattering line after line of machines, multiple ranks left with numerous gaps in their composition.

Those gaps were quickly filled as MTs stepped over the broken bodies of their comrades, moving in to take their place.

"Railgun T1!" Leonhardt called out while still looking ahead, "Select and fire on targets at will!"

"Roger that!" The line went quiet as the railgun capacitors charged for a second salvo. At the same time, Leonhardt's attention was fully focused on what the GA force was doing.

The front lines broke rank, moving from a steady march to a full blown sprint, charging forwards as fast as they could.

_Shit._ He'd been hoping they'd get more time, at least three salvos to thin out their numbers before engaging in direct combat.

Switching to the open channel he shouted, "Alright, prepare for contact!" Every MT he could see visibly stiffened, preparing themselves to fire. Leonhardt himself shouldered his rifle, holding it in both hands. The crosshair hovering over the closest Gibbon he could make out.

He waited one moment longer.

"Open fire!"

The dull rumble of automatic weapon fire could be felt in every bone in his body. Hundreds of rifles, machine guns and cannons all unloading in one direction. The wall of tracer rounds like burning hail cutting down enemy MTs in their dozens every second.

It wasn't a case of selecting an individual target and destroying it, you simply picked a firing angle and kept hosing it with as much ammunition as possible.

He dropped an empty magazine, slide a new one in its place and racked the charging handle back before immediately firing again. It was a fluid action that could be done in his sleep. It all came down to repetition. You do something again and again it no longer feels like a separate action. It becomes like breathing, walking, something you do every single day.

Somehow, he was certain the others knew what this feeling was like. The others that had signed themselves away to the whims of Corporations. They would all understand how it felt to behave like a machine. Operating with ruthless, mechanical efficiency.

He dropped another empty mag.

Continued to fire.

Barely a minute later, the enemy force had closed within two kilometres, still barrelling forwards. Some would stumble as they charged over fallen MTs. They began to fire back, shells from their machine guns scattering far and wide.

"Prepare for counter-charge!" Leonhardt shouted, slowly starting to walk forwards towards the enemy, rounds pinging off Noblesse's armour. If they were to maintain a safe buffer between themselves and the other defensive layers, they would have to drive their charge back by countering with a charge of their own. The TYPE-DULAKE had equipment suited to melee combat.

The Rosenthal MTs dropped their rifles, picking up large reinforced shields that attached to their forearm and firing up their integrated wrist mounted laser blades.

Leonhardt lit his own laser blade, an EB-O305 that was built by the Omer Science Division, designed with the intention of being frequently used, rather than an emergency weapon for use only when your primary had run dry. It had a bright, ruby coloured blade longer than any other on the market, easily reaching the floor when his arm was lowered, allowing Noblesse to strike targets well outside the usual melee range.

The GO-G3s hung back, shifting into positions that would give them better firing angle as they'd be effectively useless engaging the enemy in melee combat.

"Alright everyone! This is it! Are you ready?!" Leonhardt shouted, everyone screaming back, a collective roar of defiance.

Defiance that hid an ulterior motive.

_Not long now, not long now._

"Charge!"

He lit Noblesse's boosters, maxing the throttle in an instant. The AC accelerating to maximum speed, sliding forwards and leading the charge. The Rosenthal army following close behind.

Ahead, the Gibbons continued to fire wildly, streams of shells scattering around, their FCS unable to cope with the extremely unstable movement of the sprinting MT. In response, the Gibbon horde lit their own laser blades.

One on one, a Gibbon would be cut down by a TYPE-DULAKE every single time. The GBN-02 didn't have the same range of motion, manoeuvrability or speed, it effectively had to resort to a crude hacking or stabbing action. Enough to take out other low end MTs, but against the likes of a TYPE-DULAKE, or God forbid an AC, they were outclassed on every front.

The GA army was relying on sheer numbers, to literally steamroller them. All they had to do was hold fast. To hold until they got the all clear.

In moments, the two walls of metal would collide. Leonhardt knew that in the first minute alone, there would be hundreds to bury on both sides.

He lit Noblesse's OB, the booster roaring to life in a second, pushing the AC ahead of the pack. The momentum was needed if he was to avoid getting bogged down in fighting the leading edge of GA's force. He had higher priority targets than cutting down innumerable Gibbons.

There were a few moments of peace before those two lines crashed into one another, moments he could take to think.

To think about the better days long gone, those times when he was just happy, secure in what he was doing and where he was going. To remember how it all went wrong, to remember the days, weeks, months spent fighting for no better reason than to forget and wish for an end.

To dwell on the false smiles, the distance between family and the thin, false promises made to come home.

No matter how many he saved, he had still killed so many, and today he would be letting his parent down for the last time. At least, he wouldn't be able do that again.

He killed the OB, Noblesse touching down. He lowered the AC's centre of gravity, providing him the extra stability he needed before he fired his boosters in a counter-clockwise motion spinning manoeuvre.

The combined momentum of the spin, as well as that from travelling at around a thousand kilometres per hour was enough for him. At the crux of the spin, he brought his left hand up across his chest, before swinging it down diagonally an instant later. The timing was perfect.

The Gibbon that was previously charging forwards at him was neatly cleaved into two halves, from shoulder to waist. Both halves parting from the force of the blow.

A second later he was swallowed up into the crowd, continuing forwards, knocking aside or cutting down anything in his path.

He saw his target, one of the Solarwinds he'd spotted previously. He needed to be fast, precise and unflinching. Noblesse was still travelling fast enough that he could close on the Solarwind before it had a chance to react.

It fired off a single bazooka shell from its right arm weapon which Leonhardt weaved around effortlessly. It never got another shot off. He slid around its right hand side as it struggled to track him.

He swung the laser blade up, cutting the Solarwind's arm off at the elbow, the arm and the weapon both dropping into the dirt. Before the Solarwind could even fire up its own laser blade, Noblesse was behind it.

He drove the blade clean through its back, pulling it out just as fast. There was no time to dwell, he moved on, pushing his way through the hordes of MTs.

Kicking off into the air, he burned Noblesse's boosters hard, climbing into the sky. He knew that he was making himself a prime target by doing this, but Leonhardt needed an idea of what was happening.

The split second glance he got, didn't look good. Their thin line of charging MTs had come grinding to a halt as they slowly made their way through the front ranks of Gibbons. Some sections were making good ground, others were losing it as they failed to contain the sheer weight of numbers they faced.

The GO-G3s had stopped blindly firing and now focused on any MTs that slipped through which was becoming increasingly common.

Noblesse touched down, Leonhardt cutting an over-zealous Gibbon in two as it hacked away at him. He dialled in the com channel for Silverlight's Head of Communications. "Hello!? Is anyone there?!" he shouted, panning his head around looking for any incoming attacks. A Solarwind tore its way towards him, laser blade at the ready.

In the middle of parrying an overhead blow, a reply came back, "Yes? Who is this? How did you get this channel? We're in the midd-"

"I know!" He shouted, smashing the Solarwind back with his rifle, trying to give himself some breathing room, "This is Leonhardt Rosenthal, I need to speak with Alex Rosenthal or anyone that's with them, can you give me their current channel?!"

His parent didn't have a dedicated contact channel, instead they had one that was randomly generated for them every day. If you wanted to speak with them, the Head of Communications had to give it to you.

The fact he was having to do all this in the middle of a battle was alien to him. The comfort afforded by knowing an Operator was listening at all times was gone. There was no one watching over him today.

The Solarwind was slowly walking circles around him, the two of them having made themselves a tiny patch of calm in the storm. Leonhardt lunged forwards, feinting a stab. The Solarwind took the bait, sweeping its own laser blade wide, expecting to knock Noblesse's arm wide and leave him open for a counter attack.

Instead, Leonhardt turned the tables in an instant. As fast as he could, he lifted Noblesse's forearm at the elbow alone, the blade now pointing straight up. Unable to react to the sudden movement, the Solarwind's parry hit nothing but air, leaving it in exactly the open and vulnerable position it hoped to have put Leonhardt in.

He could never have called it a fair fight, as he bought the blade down across the Solarwind's chest, carving through armour and slicing the cockpit open. He turned away before he could see what he'd done to the pilot. That Solarwind pilot was likely experienced in combat, perhaps even considered a veteran amongst their peers. But against someone who made the choice to use a laser blade as a primary method of combat for years and years, they never had a chance.

The Head of Communications came back through, "I'm putting you through to someone who is with her as her own phone is turned off."

"Thank you." The line went dead for a moment. Leonhardt pushed Noblesse's throttle, the AC sliding forwards again.

A Gibbon made a beeline for him, but Leonhardt shot it to pieces with his rifle before it ever came within his blade's range. The com channel crackled to life as a familiar voice came though.

"This is Mx. Rosenthal's phone, Mr. Akamine speaking?" Leonhardt breathed a sigh of relief, David was someone who would instantly recognise him.

"David! It's Leonhardt, I need to speak to my parent, are they ther- ACK" Talking distracted him enough that a Solarwind's bazooka shell caught the top side of his right shoulder.

It caused only superficial damage, but the impact was enough to shock him. He could still hear David over the com channel, "Leonhardt? Leonhardt what happened? Where ar-"

There was a sound like someone rubbing cloth over the microphone before, "Leonhardt?! Is that you? Where are you? Are you ok?"

Alex's voice replaced David's, sounding panicked and out of breath. Leonhardt fired his OB for a split second, flash stepping right up to the Solarwind, driving his laser blade into its chest with enough force to follow through with the punch, pushing the MT over and onto its back.

"I'm fine! I just needed to make sure you were alright. Has Silverlight been evacuated yet?" Two Gibbons charged forwards, laser blades glowing crimson.

He had enough time to bring one down with a prolonged burst of his assault rifle, but the second was on top of him before he could change targets.

"We're just getting the last few teams out, we'll need to do a sweep of the building and complex before we all move to the airfield, what's the situation out there like?"

Leonhardt side stepped the Gibbon's swing, turning and slicing it open in a single motion. He didn't like talking to his parent at a time like this. He was under no illusion that they were ignorant of what he did, but it still made him uncomfortable.

"So far, not great, we're doing our best out here but we're struggling due to their numbers. But concentrate on getting out alright?"

"Alright, but you promise me the same alright? I want to see your face again before we leave, you understand me?"

"I- I-" He had to fight back the lump in his throat, "Yes, Pers. I understand."

"No Pers now, not at this time. At this time I am not the CEO of Rosenthal, I am your parent, ok? Please, be safe Leonhardt. I love you." Leonhardt's hands were shaking on the controls, the tell-tale glow of a laser blade out of the corner of the monitor was enough for him to parry the incoming blow, using his rifle to counter the attack, firing at near point-blank range.

"I love you too, I always will." He closed the channel.

Maybe, just maybe, he would fight to survive this fight. He could see another sunrise. Leonhardt could give his parent what they wanted, another chance to see him.

Nathan's voice crackled through the networked com channel, "Leonhardt? Shit is getting dire, we need a moral boost at the very least! Give us the impression we're achieving something!"

_A moral boost? I think I can cook something up…_ He turned around, burning at full speed towards the Rosenthal lines, cutting down both a Gibbon and a Solarwind on his way, taking advantage of travelling in the same direction.

"Nathan? Can you do me a favour?" Noblesse cleared the combat zone, speeding out into open ground. He adjusted the boosters, lifting the AC into the air.

"Yeah? What?"

Leonhardt spun Noblesse around so he was looking over the battle, casting a shadow over everyone below him. Their lines were beginning to buckle, more and more MTs streaming past the Rosenthal forces, some almost making it right up to the GO-G3s still firing from behind their shields. They needed something to give them hope.

"Tell everyone, to look up."

He switched Noblesse's selected weapons, the FCS compensating for the new weapon type. The twin triple-barrelled cannons on Noblesse Oblige's back unlocked, swinging inwards until they were all parallel before they flipped over his shoulders, the barrels locking into the smaller main section of the weapon.

Noblesse's cannons were a very severe drain on its system, with the AC's primary capacitors only holding enough charge for two full power shots before running dry.

This was a time he could afford to use the energy. Reaching above him, he flicked two switches, starting the short sequence to directly transfer energy from the AC's capacitors to the ones in each cannon.

It was only a few seconds before the charge was complete. Leonhardt lined the crosshair in to the heart of GA's army.

_It'll be false hope, but look up and believe it's real._

He squeezed the triggers.

Six bright bolts of blue light streaked through the air in a flash before they hit the ground nearly a kilometre away from the actual fighting. The blast was bright enough that had you been looking from the top of Silverlight, it would have been like day break.

It wasn't for him and it wasn't real, but maybe someone, somewhere got to see another sunrise.


	18. Don't Go Down to Sorrow

He hurt.

Everything hurt.

His arms felt like lead weights, his legs burned, tense like steel cable. But he had to keep moving. Moving through the pain, moving through the desire to just lie down on the ground.

It hadn't even been that long since the initial charge, not even an hour and Leonhardt was exhausted. The bright afternoon sun had been blotted out by the storm clouds that had rolled over the Silverlight Complex and their defensive line. He wouldn't be surprised if it started raining in the next few minutes.

Every breath came ragged and he felt like his jumpsuit was a furnace. Despite the fact he had Noblesse's climate control maxed out as cold as it would go, it wasn't enough.

Sweat was pouring off his face, had he not been wearing gloves, holding the controls would be impossible.

He'd lost track of where he was on the battlefield. The fighting had pushed its way past their initial defensive lines, the railguns being destroyed by mortar fire and missiles from surviving Mobile Fortresses.

The GO-G3s had fallen back to the trenches where the infantry were, trying vainly to thin out the numbers that were breaking through.

They were losing ground, inch by inch GA was pushing them back. They had valiantly thinned out the enemy numbers by a significant margin but it wasn't enough. Less than half of their original force remained, the thin line of grey and blue doing everything in its power to hold back the tide of brown, dust coloured MTs.

Leonhardt had lost count of how many he'd cut and shot. It was like he had tunnel vision, nothing else existed except to keep pushing forwards through the horde. He carved a path through the sea of metal and machine, destroying everything in his way. If he focused on anything else, he'd falter, he'd fall.

Nathan's voice came over the private channel between them, "Leonhardt, we need an update on what's happening! Our lines can't hold this position, if we don't start falling back to Silverlight now we're going to be overrun!"

The situation was desperate but GA breaking their lines was the worst case scenario. If that happened it would be all over.

He re-opened the channel to his parent's phone, waiting for them to answer. The silence was killing him

Then, a voice, "Hello? Leonhardt is that you?" It was Alex, they had likely taken their phone off David in the event he called again.

"Yes it's me," He strained to talk normally while exerting himself so much, "We need an ETA on those transporters, our lines are failing and we can't hold them much longer!"

"They are just arriving now! We'll be loaded as soon as possible, please hold on! I have to go as everyone's moving, but I'll call you the moment I'm on board, alright?!" They were shouting now over the rising noise on their end, people shouting and yelling.

"Ok, I'll speak to you then!" He shut the channel, bringing his attention back to the fight. There was still hope. Still a chance for some good to come out of this. The tens of thousands of civilians would be able to live in the face of this.

A Solarwind pushed its way through the Gibbons towards him. This one was different, it had no back mounted systems and no visible weapons in its hands, it strode forwards unyielding, bearing down on him.

From both forearms, laser blades flared to life. _Shit._ If this MT pilot was confident enough to challenge him using blades alone, it was likely that they were skilled enough to believe they had a chance. He didn't subscribe to the idea of fools charging into battle, there was no one fool enough to throw away their life like this.

He brought Noblesse to a standstill, centring its weight and readying himself. A drawn out battle would be the end of him, Leonhardt just didn't have the energy for a long, elaborate duel.

Shooting him was an option, but Solarwinds had enough armour that with Noblesse's back against a wall of Gibbons herding the two of them into a makeshift arena, the enemy could close on him before being brought down.

Just as he prepared to launch himself forward to attack, the Solarwind, backed down, its attention drawn to something above and behind him. Before he even had a chance to question what it was looking at, Nathan's voice echoed in the cockpit.

"Leonhardt?! What the fuck is happening above Silverlight?!"

He turned around just fast enough to see it.

In a single, bright instant, he was reminded of sixteen years ago. Back when the world burned. Leonhardt remembered clearly, watching as bolts of light turned his home to ash as they escaped.

The clouds above Silverlight crackled with blue lighting before they parted, a single blinding bolt of blue light piercing the sky before impact.

A second later, he couldn't see the blast as a wall of dust rushed towards them as the ground shook violently, everyone losing their footing, some Gibbons stumbling completely over, falling to their knees and onto their backs.

He heard a muffled, "Everyone brace for i-"

Then nothing, the wall hit them as Leonhardt dropped to a single knee, trying to stay upright as his AC was battered and buffeted by the shockwave.

All he could hear was the deep, overpowering and thunderous roar ringing out from the explosion.

It was over as quickly as it started. Noblesse stood up, the air still thick with dirt. Combined with the darkness from the overcast skies, it was difficult to see anything even a few meters in front of him.

Panning his head around, he could only make out figures, silhouettes shifting and moving.

Something staggered out of the dark at him, Noblesse's FCS couldn't confirm whether it was hostile or not so he reacted on instinct alone, cutting it down with his blade. It was only when it fell at his feet, did he recognise the frame as a Rosenthal MT, not one belonging to GA.

Friendly fire.

_I di- I didn't mean… I…_

Panic set in, Leonhardt struggling to breath in the suddenly claustrophobic cockpit. He spun Noblesse around, panning the head left and right trying to make sense of what was happening. There was no order any more. He didn't know what direction was towards the enemy or away, they were everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

An MT swung at him as it burst through the dust cloud, Leonhardt parried the blow, unwilling to immediately counter for fear of killing another ally.

The second he realised it was a Gibbon, Noblesse lashed out, slicing the MT cleanly in half.

The dust and dirt prevented any communicates, every channel yielding nothing but static, he was alone, isolated, confused.

It was then, that Leonhardt noticed the drops falling. Ever so slowly, rain began to fall from the sky. Light at first, in moments it was a torrential downpour, the summer drought had come to an end.

The rain helped clear the dust in the air, finally allowing Leonhard to see what had happened.

MTs were scattered around him, most still struggling to stand up after being knocked down. Some were still fighting, having managed to either keep their balance, or they were on their feet faster than everyone else.

It was a sorry sight, most of the now mud caked machines resorting to beating each other with fists or limbs, their weapons damaged or discarded in the blast.

A Solarwind missing its right arm slowly advanced on him. He couldn't tell, but there was every chance this was the same dual blade using MT that he was about to fight prior to the explosion.

He shouldered his rifle, squeezing the trigger until the machine slumped forwards, its chest shattered open. Leonhardt dropped the empty magazine, replacing it with a full one. Noblesse only had a single spare after this one, if we was going to use his rifle, he'd need to conserve ammunition.

With the dust gone, the com channels were clear again, but even after three separate attempts to contact his parent, he still couldn't get through.

He switched to the networked channel with Nathan, "N-nathan, can you contact the Silverlight Complex at all?"

He nervously look around, most of the MTs around him were still motionless or at least struggling to get up, the threat of attack for now was low.

"Leonhardt don't… Don't look please. Just… Just keep fighting alright?" Nathan's words turned his stomach, dread flooding through him.

_Why? What happened?_ _What's wrong?_

He starting moving, without thinking about what he was doing, Leonhardt pushed Noblesse towards Silverlight. Shoving ally and enemy alike aside. What did Nathan mean?

What could possibly…

He cleared the battle, sliding to a halt in the open air. The rain still pouring down in sheets, the noise of it filling the cockpit and his head.

Leonhardt was still trying to process what he was looking at, or more accurately, what he should have been looking at.

The Silverlight tower was gone, not just the tower, but the entire complex surrounding it as well. There was nothing left, except a mushroom cloud marking the impact zone.

His parent couldn't answer their phone because neither existed anymore. Everything inside the crater had been reduced to ash, mixed in with the rain that fell on them all.

They were gone, thousands upon thousands of people erased from existence in the blink of an eye.

He couldn't breathe.

He needed air. Something, anything.

Something to fill the hole in his chest. Something to dislodge the burning lump in his throat. Something to drown out the screaming in his head.

Nathan's voice blasting out of the cockpit speakers was enough to shock him out of his daze, "L-leonhardt-t, a-a lit-ttle hand h-here?"

His speech was broken, sounding ragged. Looking up at the display for Nathan's biometrics and MT status, his heartrate was through the roof and nearly every part of his MT was blinking, indicating significant damage.

"Shit, I'm coming! Hang on!"

Leonhardt spun Noblesse around, following the HUD indicator pointing in his direction. Throwing the AC forwards, he hacked his way through two unsuspecting Gibbons in an effort to make the distance as short as possible.

It wasn't far, but as he approached Nathan's position, he failed to pay enough attention to what was happening around him.

A Solarwind blindsided him, throwing them both into the mud, but from where he was on the ground, he could see through the legs of the MTs in his way. They had formed another makeshift arena just like the one Leonhardt had found himself in.

But this wasn't a one on one affair like his had been.

Nathan's MT was being held up by a pair of Solarwinds, one on each arm as he struggled to pull free. It looked like he was trying to light his boosters but they were misfiring for some reason. The laser blade on his right arm was still active, but the MT holding that arm wasn't going to allow him to use it.

Leonhardt dragged himself forwards but the Solarwind's massive weight pinned him down, the thick mud preventing him from shifting free.

Another apparently unarmed Solarwind stood before Nathan's MT repeatedly beating the MT core. Even from where he was, he could see the battered and broken machine recoiling with every blow.

TYPE-DULAKE cockpits were no more spacious than any other, Nathan was likely being crushed alive while his MT caved in around him. Even so, the twisting limbs showed he was still operating the controls, fighting to stay alive.

It was cruel and unnecessary. The GA Solarwind pilots were toying with him, there was no need to do this.

Leonhardt tried rolling over to dislodge the Solarwind on him but it was dead weight, unmoving. He didn't have the leverage to shift it.

He was screaming at this point, screaming at nothing and screaming at everything. He was meters away from being able to stop this from happening but something had to stop him.

It was his fault that everyone at Silverlight was dead, it had been his idea to move them all there. So many dead because he spoke up.

Now this, forced to watch as the last person he could call family was broken in front of him.

Nathan spoke, very quietly and so softly that he almost didn't hear him over his own howling.

"Leonhar-rdt, I t-told you d-didn't I? N-not to look. I can s-see you there, w-watching. Can y-you do me a favour? Look away, f-friend. L-look away."

The channel closed permanently from Nathan's end, shutting Leonhardt out. The Solarwind that had been beating him reached down to the ground, to pick up what looked like a large broken piece of girder that had survived the blast and had landed nearby.

Nathan took the opportunity, wrenching his MT's body violently with an explosive burst of energy. The joint around his left shoulder gave way, the metal coming apart under such force.

The Solarwind that had been holding him back with that left arm stumbled backwards, falling over as Nathan pulled free of the other. Now turning his blade on that Solarwind, he cut it open from shoulder to waist in a single sweeping motion.

Nathan leapt forwards without pause, landing next to the Solarwind that was just starting to get back up off its back.

It didn't get the chance to even finish sitting as Nathan drove the laser blade through its chest all the way until his fist connected.

Leonhardt could see it happening in slow motion. He could shout and scream until his throat was raw but Nathan would never hear his warning.

Even as he finally shifted the Solarwind holding him down it was too late.

Nathan turned to face the last MT in time to watch it run him through with the girder, the beam punching clean through.

Red sprayed out the back, dripping from the jagged tip.

The Solarwind took a few steps back. Leaving the makeshift weapon embedded in the TYPE-DULAKE's chest.

Nathan's heart-rate destabilised before completely flat lining, the panel turning red.

As if to defy his killer out of spite alone, the machine lurched forwards, covering the gap between them in an instant. He drove his laser blade into the Solarwind's chest with such force that even when his knuckles made contact he didn't stop, shattering his MT's hand as he forced the now broken joint through the armoured chest.

He pulled the crushed stump out of the Solarwind, watching as it fell onto its back, now motionless.

Leonhardt wished with all of his heart that the bio screen would turn green again, that the line would waver into a pulse once again.

Even through the haze in his eyes he could see that it remained red and unmoving. Nathan's MT had shut down, the girder still lodged in it.

He died standing up, fighting for what he believed in.

Even with his last words, Leonhardt couldn't keep his promise. There was no way he could have looked away. That would have been tantamount to accepting what was going to happen.

But no matter how much he didn't want to accept it. The truth stood in front of him, the truth was all around him. In the rain that continued to fall. In the blood spilt on the ground.

They had lost.

Everyone he was trying to protect was dead.

It was his fault.

As he heaved himself from the ground, Leonhardt looked ahead and met the scene before him. He wasn't going to even try and hold the tears back. He didn't even remember when he started crying.

The few Rosenthal MTs still standing continued to fight, to struggle. Even with nothing left, even with no hope, they fought. A last, bloody stand in the face of certain death.

None of them had families awaiting their return. None of them would see anyone else again. One by one they fell, torn apart. Parents, loved ones, children, their closest and life-long friends burned from the Earth. What can you fight for when everything you have is ripped away from you?

Of course, he knew the answer, he'd just been trying to forget it. It wasn't the answer he wanted, it never had been. If people looked up to him as their knight, he should reflect that image back to them, to be what they needed him to be.

But if the people were dead and gone, if there was no one left to inspire, then he was free of his obligation.

There was no need to hold back. No need to lie to himself or anyone else, not anymore. At last, Leonhardt could fully commit himself to what he wanted, free of consequence.

It was already too late to think about it; his body was moving before he even realised that Noblesse was upright.

Leonhardt's perception of time blurred, or rather, he stopped caring. Seconds, minutes, it didn't matter. He wasn't counting time – it wasn't the measurement he lived by anymore.

_Seventy Nine._

_Eighty._

_Eighty Two._

It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. He could forget like this. He didn't have to dwell on that hole inside him. There was something that could fill that hole, at least for now.

_One hundred and thirty three._

_One hundred and thirty four._

There was no shortage of targets. They were all packed so close together, he could move between them with fluidity he'd never experienced before. It was amazing.

_Two Hundred and Fifty One._

_Two Hundred and Fifty Three._

There was only the faintest tinge of guilt, a shred of that shrivelled thing he could have once called Humanity.

He drowned it, snuffed it out.

_Four Hundred and Nine._

_Four Hundred and Ten._

_Four Hundred and Twelve._

He got lost. Lost in the violence, in the killing, in the spilt blood. Killing again and again and again. It was a mechanical action. The world had been trying to tell him all along; what he had tried so hard to disprove, only now did he accept its truth.

You are a weapon, your purpose is to kill.

And so he did. Leonhardt killed in droves, relentlessly.

"My my, aren't you _magnificent_."

He froze, the voice shocking him out of the trance. Dropping the upper half of the Gibbon he'd been holding onto, Leonhardt spun Noblesse around, trying to spot whoever was speaking to him.

The voice was entirely unfamiliar, he couldn't place it anywhere. What was more concerning was the sudden return to clarity. Everything he'd just done running through his head as the panic and sickness set in.

It came through his speakers again, "You know, I did admire Berlioz's dedication to murder, but I must say that you Leonhardt, are doing a splendid job of it right now."

None of the MTs around him were throwing themselves at him anymore, instead they all stood back, starting to form yet another open space with Leonhardt at the centre.

The source of the voice was still unknown to him, with no one stepping forwards or identifying themselves. He pointed his rifle outwards, his blade raised in case of a surprise attack all the while twisting and turning, trying to predict the enemy's next movement.

"Where are you? Where are you?! You coward!" Leonhardt screamed over the com channel. His hands were shaking, he still had no idea who was talking to him as they didn't sound like anyone he'd ever spoken to.

"Coward?" The voice came back, "Oh I assure you I am no coward."

The crowd parted ahead of him, finally revealing who had been speaking to him. A jet black AC stepped forwards. Unsung. Some part of him recognised its frame from somewhere, perhaps if he wasn't so stressed he could have scoured his memory for it. However, at this point he felt like he could make an accurate guess as to who they were.

The rogue Raven that fought and killed Berlioz during the Ark's fall. Maximilian Thermidor.

His voice rang out through the cockpit speakers, "Wasn't Orion wonderful? After those grand terrible tales we were told about the Great Destruction, I was concerned that GA's obsession with it would result in nothing. But thankfully, we can see the results right here."

Orion. That was the name of the cannon that just levelled Silverlight, the same one that reduced countries to ash. GA had taken control of Humanity's greatest tragedy, their unforgettable shame. An event burned into the hearts and mind of every single person who survived. They had taken that and used it once again.

"Wonderful?" Leonhardt spat back, "You slaughter thousands of innocents with a horror we should have learned from? What kind of fucking monster are you?!"

"You're the second person in two days to call me that, can't any of you be a little more, imaginative? And thousands? You mean there were more people there than just the Silverlight staff? How unfortunate, who put them all there I wonder?"

"Fuck you, you piece of shit!" He opened fire with his rifle, dumping the little ammo he had left in the last magazine. After only a second of continuous fire, it clicked dry, the weapon now little better than a blunt instrument or worse, dead weight.

An instant later, Leonhardt was made aware of how this man could have possibly killed Berlioz. The entire burst of fire he sent Maximilian's way was stopped short by a swirling field of shining gold particles, arcs of electricity striking the ground as the field reacted to the impacts.

"W-w-what…" There was no doubting it, this had to be him. Only an advantage like this would allow someone to stand toe to toe with the Ninebreaker and come out on top.

Unsung remained unmoving, standing only a few hundred metres away from him. Now that the golden field had been struck, it flickered every so often, the torrential rain likely setting it off.

That sickly smooth voice came through, "I do apologise. I haven't introduced myself. What unbecoming behaviour to show in front of a _knight._ " Leonhardt's teeth gritted together, "I am Maximilian Thermidor, pleasure to make your acquaintance Leonhardt Rosenthal."

The distance between them wasn't impossible to cover, his rifle was empty and at this range, a full power shot with his wing cannons would catch him in the blast along with Maximilian. If he dropped the charge to a safe level, he couldn't be sure that the attack would breach that protective field.

The only weapon Leonhardt had, that he could ultimately rely on was his blade. He had to close that distance between them and land a solid blow, one that would cripple Maximilian's AC enough that he could at least have a fighting chance.

_That AC…_ He couldn't shake the feeling he knew the frame, something about it triggered a memory he couldn't clearly see. On the other hand, its weapons were entirely unknown to him, he didn't recognise them in the slightest. He just needed to get as close as possible.

Moving as fast as he could, Leonhardt dropped Noblesse's centre of gravity, he'd need the extra stability on the soft muddy ground. At the same time, he pressed a small red button on Noblesse's controls, engaging its OB.

It was the only way he could get close enough to strike, without being caught in a counter-attack.

_He can't be allowed to survive. This… This inhuman thing must die._

Only a moment passed before the OB fired, slamming Leonhardt his seat. Engaging his laser blade, he drew his left arm back, planning on performing the same attack he used in the charge against GA's army. A single, clean blow that would cleave his opponent in two.

Of course, plans never went as expected. He should have known better, should have learnt that you can't count on anything to go your way.

A Solarwind anticipated the move, darting out into Noblesse's path with remarkable speed. Leaving Leonhardt with fractions of a second to decide on what to do.

If he did nothing, he'd crash into the MT and they'd both go crashing to the ground and he'd be killed before he could do anything about it. He could cut the Solarwind down with his blade, which would be the easiest way around the issue, but it wouldn't leave him enough time to prepare for a second strike against Maximilian.

That left…

Leonhardt brought his right arm across his chest, waiting for the perfect moment. It came instantly, he twisted his arm slightly before lashing out with as much force as he possibly could.

It had the desired effect, the rifle body slammed into the chest of the MT, the metal plating caving in, buckling under the immense impact, throwing the machine backwards despite its initial forward momentum.

Unfortunately, the blow was too much for the rifle, it shattered upon impact, coming apart in his hand.

Using the motion of his right arm, he let the weight carry his torso around, bringing his left arm up across his chest. He wouldn't be able to pull off the original attack so he would go with the best he had, a simple shoulder to waist cut.

But as the body of the Solarwind sailed away to his right, clearing his view, he realised that no matter what he had chosen to do, it had done its job.

Diverting his effort into knocking the Solarwind away had given Maximilian enough time to raise his left hand weapon, pointing it at him.

It looked like he'd be taking the first hit of this battle. But it didn't matter, with the speed and weight of Noblesse right now, nothing short of a direct shot from a grenade cannon would be able to turn him away. Whatever that weapon fired, he'd take the hit and continue on regardless.

He just needed to land that one blow.

Just one hit.

_Please… Please…_

At exactly the same time Leonhardt was close enough to begin swinging downwards, Unsung fired, while at the same time shifting backwards and to its left. It wasn't a bullet or shell that hit him, it was a stream of glowing and crackling particles, just like the ones that made up Maximilian's shield.

Noblesse's cockpit went dark.

Leonhardt had lost.

He didn't know exactly what happened, but the moment that stream hit him, Noblesse lost all primary power, meaning that he likely had lost his balance and tumbled to the ground.

He started rebooting Noblesse's OS, but Maximilian's voice came through the still active com channel, heaving a rather dramatic sigh, "Well I suppose I must commend you on effort, you would have had me if fate hadn't driven its knife into your back. I guess that's just how this pans out."

His main display flickered to life, giving him a clear view of the mud he was lying face down in. It was an image so sharp, he could easily make out the rain hitting puddles of water that had built up in the craters and gouges.

"Although, I will say that it's somewhat pathetic that you're already out of the fight. I at least got a half decent scrap out of that dog but all I get from you is a single missed swing? I suppose Berlioz had an audience to perform for, but you don't, do you? No one to see you for what you really are."

Turning Noblesse's head to look to his left, Unsung was slowly walking towards him as it dropped the strange weapon it disabled Noblesse with.

"No one to see your end. You lived a lie and everyone believed it, that you were a good, righteous man. Someone that everyone could aspire to be, a shining light in the dark."

Leonhardt couldn't tell if Noblesse was being sluggish to move or if it was his own burnt out body.

_I… I have to get up. I can't… I can't…_

"Looking down on you now, I think you have some rather important questions to answer, don't you think?"

He'd just managed to push his AC's body out of the mud when he saw the feet of Unsung standing before him. This was it. The end was here.

_Thank god…_

"Tell me Leonhardt," Maximilian raised Unsung's right foot, "What is a knight without his sword?"

The foot was brought down on Noblesse's left forearm, metal giving way as it was crushed. In turn, the laser blade emitter was also completely destroyed. The broken limb no longer supported his weight as he slipped back into the filth.

"Tell me Leonhardt! What are you?! I want to hear you say it!" Maximilian spat out, while Unsung moved around behind him, using its free hand to reach over Noblesse's shoulder, grabbing its chin and pulling backwards.

He dragged the battered machine into a kneeling position with both arms limp at each side. Leonhardt wasn't even holding the controls anymore, his hands shaking while trying to cradle his own head.

"A-a knight w-ith-hout his sword-d," He croaked out, trying to fight the words out of his throat, "Is a f-failure."

"Good, good. I'm happy that you understand." Maximilian's voice returned to that sickly smooth tone, unwavering.

Unsung let go of Noblesse's neck, Maximilian moving to stand next to the kneeling AC, looking down at him.

"Now, question number two Leonhardt." Looking over his right-hand shoulder, he could see that Unsung had taken hold of the right-hand cannon mount that held the wing shaped weapon in place. The gunblade weapon raised high above its head.

"What is an angel, without its wings?"

The blade dropped, cutting deep into the mounting. Noblesse's HUD was already screaming multiple layered warnings at Leonhardt, the ones that flashed up now were ignored.

He let it happen.

It came down again, this time cleaving through, the wing coming away in Unsung's hand, the machine tossing the mangled weapon system aside as he moved onto the second wing, hacking away.

Moments later, it was done. Both sets of wings lay twisted and broken in the mud, water pooling around them.

"Answer me Leonhardt, you need to learn this truth. I'm doing you a favour so you need to say it out loud yourself. What is an angel, without his wings?"

Leonhardt was shivering all over, his gut was twisting and turning. He wanted to be sick but he spoke anyway, "A failu-ure"

"Excellent." Maximilian remained standing behind him, he could see the fingers of Unsung's hand on his shoulder, holding him in place. "Having learnt these two things, Leonhardt, can you answer my final question?"

He didn't say anything because he knew what this last question would be and he knew the answer to it.

It had been screaming around his head for just over three years.

"What are you, Leonhardt? What is the truth to the lie you've been living?"

His answer was quiet, almost whispered as he spoke.

"I a-am a failure."

"There we go. Now, I feel like it's time we put an end to your failings." Leonhardt didn't need to look, what was coming was all too obvious as the sound of Unsung moving slightly behind him.

He didn't cry, he didn't beg, because he'd been waiting for this. On a battlefield, somewhere, just to see his husband again.

_I can't wait to see you._

"What a shame, that you had to prove so useless."

Leonhardt heard the sound of metal parting behind him as something was driven into Noblesse's back.

_I'm sorry everyone._

_Oh God I'm so sorry._

_I wish I could have saved you._

_I should have saved you._

_I'm worthless_

_I fai-_


	19. Eve of the End

A pounding on his door woke Elijah from a sleep that provided no relief. If whoever it was outside had given up, he would have likely pulled the sheet over his head and fallen back asleep. Unfortunately for him, the noise was unrelenting.

"Alright, alright I'm up!" He shouted as he rolled off the bunk, "Holy shit what is your problem…"

Grabbing his phone off the floor, the screen clearly told him that it was far earlier than he'd originally thought. _The fuck have they got me up at this time for?_

He was tired, and worn down. Dealing with other human beings was not at the top of his 'to-do' list. All he wanted at this point was to attempt to sleep, even getting breakfast was unappealing.

All the while he was putting his tracksuit on, the banging continued. "Alright! Jesus calm down!" The second he pulled his top on, he walked to the door, opening it.

"Could y-" Elijah froze, his anger bleeding away in an instant as the door opened to reveal Sajjan as the one knocking.

His expression was flat, Elijah unable to read anything off his face. The old glint in his eye, that warm permanent smile he wore, both gone. It was becoming clear that those things had been lost.

No survivor had escaped unscathed, the Fall of the Ark had scarred them all. Sajjan cleared his throat, "The remaining active Ravens have been summoned to an emergency meeting, you need to come with me."

"I- Uh… Sure thing." He was so stunned by his sudden appearance that maintaining a solid composure was not on the table. He realised that Sajjan was wearing his jumpsuit, the thought of being the only one in a tracksuit again was enough for him to ask, "Can I at least get changed?"

Sajjan looked him up and down, before nodding, "Head to the meeting room when you're done." He immediately turned to his left and walked away without saying another word to Elijah.

The words were there, Elijah just couldn't say them. He wanted to scream how unfair it was that Sajjan was acting like this, but actually following through was harder than he'd want to admit.

He closed the door, quickly taking off the tracksuit and pulling a clean jumpsuit out of a locker. Elijah was grateful that the jumpsuits were easy to put on, as in less than a minute he was ready to go, walking out of the door and making his way to the meeting room.

Contrary to what he was used to on the Ark, the Venture was a hive of activity even at a time this early in the morning. People moving from room to room, some running down corridors, a squad of soldiers in full gear marched past everyone.

_What the fuck is going on? We aren't due to deploy for another day?_

He didn't have time to stop someone and ask, Elijah didn't want to lose any more time so he walked on, avoiding eye contact.

It was only moments before he was walking into the meeting room, people turning to look at him while he entered. "Uhhh yeah sorry I'm late." Elijah mumbled as he moved to stand next to Jan who was waving him over.

Looking around, he realised this wasn't a meeting on the same scale as the last, none of the Leonemeccanica board members were with them, it was just the six Ravens and the CEO standing around the table in the centre of the room.

Nobody said anything back to him, instead, they all looked to Lorenza who began to speak.

"Alright, thank you all for coming here on such short notice, I'm afraid it isn't good news that I've woken you all for."

Anxiety twisted Elijah's stomach as his mind raced through possibilities. The faces of the other Ravens showed the same worry as they listened intently.

Lorenza continued, "At roughly four o'clock in the afternoon last night we detected a strange energy discharge in orbit and on the ground directly below that same discharge. It has taken us until now to get a satellite there to find out what happened."

Elijah's nerves weren't getting any better as she carried on, "We found nothing in the orbital space, however when we looked at the surface directly below…"

She trailed off as the holographic display table lit up with a single static image. It was an enormous crater that cut into a nearby cliff face, only a few kilometres away was what looked like an endless expanse of bodies, broken machines lying on the ground.

No one made a sound, trying to both understand what exactly they were looking at, while at the same time knowing exactly what it was.

A battlefield, long since fallen silent. One that none of them even knew existed, every life there had passed without their knowing.

Jan broke the quiet, "Where… Where is that?" Elijah almost didn't want an answer, he wished it was fake, that those dead were still breathing. The war with GA only started not even seventy two hours ago, how could so many be dead?

Clearing her throat quietly, Lorenza gave the answer and Elijah was right to fear the answer.

"That crater is all that remains of Rosenthal's Silverlight Complex."

There was a moment before Sajjan spoke up, Elijah could hear the same fear creeping into his voice that he heard on the way back to the Ark from the Motherwill strike.

"There were survivors though… They had enough time to get out right?" Even from where Elijah was standing, Sajjan's hands could be seen shaking slightly at his sides.

Lorenza sighed heavily, that act alone giving the answer before she even said a single word.

"The evacuees from Silverlight and its local population centres were due to arrive at a Leonemeccanica base to be protected from GA's advance. I have confirmed with the base commander that the last transmission they got from their transporter group was confirming their arrival at Silverlight. Soon after that, they lost contact."

Mary Shelly spoke up at that, "Wait wait, you said their local population centres as well? Do we have an estimate of how many people were at Silverlight when whatever the fuck caused that crater happened?"

"Does it matter?!" Sajjan suddenly snapped at her, "Do we need to count every lost live before it fucking matt-!?" He cut himself off as fast as he started.

Everyone turned to stare at him, even Lorenza looked somewhat shocked before coughing slightly and answering Mary's question, "We know that three small centres were transferred to Silverlight, those including the Silverlight staff brings the total to somewhere around four and a half thousand, we haven't been able to determine the losses that Rosenthal sustained in the fighting away from Silverlight."

He wanted to give up at this point. To just be done with it, anything to stop the death toll rising. It wasn't even like he could ask, who was doing the killing? To ask, why the slaughter was taking place?

More thousands that couldn't be buried. More families left broken or just… Gone. He was sick of it.

"We believe," Lorenza continued, "That what caused this crater, is the same weapon that brought about the Great Destruction over twenty years ago, Orion. If GA is indeed in control of something as horrific as that, we have no time to spare, they could bring that thing to bear on us at a moment's notice."

Hushed whispers travelled between Ravens at the mention of Orion, Elijah noted that Sajjan stood silent, his hands resting on the edge of the table and his head hung low.

"With this in mind, we are moving our operation to attack forwards. The Venture has already begun deploying its forces to advance on Maxwell, you Ravens are to report to your ACs in the launch bay and await orders. Am I understood?"

No one actually said anything, all still staring at the image in front of them. It was all progressing too fast.

Elijah wanted to ask a question, but the answer terrified him. But, it was Zanni that apparently had exactly the same question on his mind.

"Do we know," He said with a surprisingly heavy accent, "What the status of Leonhardt is?" His face was flat, without a trace of emotion on it. Nothing about him showed any genuine concern regarding Leonhardt's condition.

Before Elijah could say anything, Lorenza had already begun to answer him.

"Leonhardt was part of the defensive force protecting Silverlight. We don't know any specifics, all we know is that there wasn't a single Rosenthal survivor from that battle. No one walked away. It stands to reason, that he fell with the rest."

"I see, thank you."

He saw it for a split second, a crack in what was apparently a near-flawless façade. Zanni's face twitched as pain flashed across it.

Maybe it was concern after all. Did he know Leonhardt somehow?

Everyone turned to leave, no one speaking a word.

It was all too much. The end of Rosenthal, Leonhardt's assumed death, the loss of thousands. To top it all off, Global Armaments had saw it fit to turn their history against them once again.

Humanity's greatest sin, the burning of their own homes and their own families. Millions dead.

Leonhardt had wanted the world to learn from its past, to right the terrible wrongs they had committed. Instead they were repeating it, once again using that horrific weapon to massacre innocent people without discretion.

They had to be stopped, it was the right thing to do. But between them and their goal stood those same innocents he wanted to save.

Lorenza told them that the army protecting Maxwell was made up of an involuntarily created militia. People forced to fight for something they didn't believe in. Everyone standing against GA would have to spill their own share of innocent blood to reach the end.

Could he go through with it?

In no time at all, all of them stood in the Venture's internal hangar. This was different to the one that the transporters had used when they arrived, it wasn't a hangar for use by aircraft or even MTs.

This was a small hangar designed to support ACs currently residing on the Venture, it had a staff trained to deal with maintenance and resupply. They had a small stock of spare parts on hand, they could also get anything they didn't have on short notice from any nearby bases.

Everyone split off to their respective ACs, still not speaking to one another. It made sense in a way. At the end of the day, even fighting under the same banner, Ravens were individuals. It was drilled into them from day one of training that you were to fight as a one man army. Even if you fight alongside others, that when it came down to it you had to forget everything but yourself.

Maybe some could overcome that with time, others gave into it, but no one forgot it. It was apparent more than ever now. With their backs to the wall, this instinct would keep them alive at the expense of straining their relationships with each other.

Havok stood in a gantry to his left, but before he could even step onto the elevator pad that would take him to the top of the framework, an engineer wearing a grey and dark green uniform waved him over.

"Hey Raven!" She shouted, "Is this your AC?" With a clipboard in one hand, he hoped that she wasn't going to take up too much of his time.

"Yeah, I am." He wished he hadn't sounded so harsh but if it meant less people hassling him it would work out in the end. "What's wrong?"

"Just some stuff you need to know before you go out," She started, looking down at the clipboard, "Your AC wasn't in perfect condition when we got it and we don't stock any parts for your… Uhh… Unique design choices."

His eyes narrowed at her despite her being entirely correct. It was now that he began to regret using three different Corporation's parts in Havok's frame.

The engineer carried on despite his glare, "We don't carry the ammunition for your machine guns so we've had to re-chamber them for a lighter Leonemeccanica round. They won't hit as hard but you'll have a little more range and more ammunition."

Her eyes scanned down, "The other major issue was your AC's left elbow joint. At somepoint in your last mission you banged it up real good, any more stress and it would have given out completely."

Flipping the page over, she said, "We've modified that AM-HOGIRE arm to use the joint from an A01-TELLUS, but the mounting isn't perfect. It'll take regular movement just fine, but push it too hard and you'll lose the use of that arm, so try not to overdo it."

"Is that all?"

That earned him a rather disappointed stare, "Hey I'm not obligated to tell you this shit, I just thought you'd appreciate it. Remind me to not bother next time."

She turned and left, quite loudly saying, "Fucking Ravens, who cares about them anyway?"

It wasn't hard to understand their reaction and her mentality. He deserved it really. It reminded him again of what Sajjan had said.

… _that to the majority, we are to be feared and hated…_

… _Murderers who kill for the money…_

He'd believed that they'd change the world for the better, that they'd do something for the people with no need for a pay check at the end.

In a sick way, he was right. They were doing something to help the world, at the same time they'd be condemning themselves as they killed those who never wanted to fight. This mission would indeed create a better world, a world they would have no place in.

Sajjan was a fool. There was no happy ending for Ravens.

Elijah walked to the small lift, pressing the button marked with an upwards facing arrow, the small motor grumbling to life as he began to ascend. Despite its slow speed, it covered the nine meters from the floor to Havok's shoulder height without taking too long. There was a partition between Havok and the AC to his left, but he could see the one directly in front of him and the one to its right.

Mary Shelley's AC, Prometheus, stood in a gantry opposite. It was a pure BFF 047AN frame, a stocky mid-weight coloured grey and black. With an assault rifle in its right hand and a second-gen sniper rifle in its left, Mary was known to typically employ dynamic tactics utilizing mid and long range engagements.

Ravens who had partnered with her on missions came back with tales of how they'd unwittingly found themselves in the position of bait while she set up an ambush that would frequently put their life at risk.

The AC he could see next to it was Sara Lee's Phantom, built using Leonemeccanica's standard frame, the Y01-TELLUS. Despite its apparently slimmer profile, it was actually heavier than the 047AN, making it the heaviest mid-weight AC frame on the market. The handgun in its left hand was only intended as a backup weapon, one of the defining features of Phantom was the world's first production model laser rifle.

The other was the reason for its naming, were the small fan-like extensions mounted to the shoulder points. They were an experimental attempt at hiding an AC's distinct signature from radar and virtually all tracking mechanisms.

The 063ANEM shoulder system used an extremely powerful ECM field to render it entirely invisible to all forms of detection while active. This also meant that all missile weapons would be either completely unable to track their targets inside its area of effect, or it'd scramble the guidance on systems that used visual ques like TV-guided or Laser-guided missiles.

This gave Sara an edge in combat that was hard to compare to, although due to their experimental nature, Leonemeccanica hadn't worked around the heat management issues. Phantom's ECM could only be used for short amounts of time or Sara would risk burning the system out.

He couldn't see Jan's AC from the lift, but he'd caught a glimpse of it the day before. Roughcut had spent its entire time on the Venture with engineers crawling all over it, Zanni himself overseeing the work like a hawk.

Elijah had asked a Venture staff member why so much attention was being paid to that particular AC. It turned out that Rayleonard's 03-AALIYAH frame was notorious for needing constant tinkering and maintenance, this issue was further exacerbated by the addition of the 04-ALICIA legs which none of the Venture staff had any experience with.

Elijah stepped off the lift, walking the short distance along the gantry. Jumping down, he took no time in climbing into Havok's cockpit, lowering the head a moment later.

The AC was running off the gantry's supplied power, meaning that everything was already running as he settled himself in, fastening the harness across his chest.

He was somewhat surprised when the com light immediately began blinking. _Someone's eager…_ Accepting the channel, he said, "Yes? Who is it?" There were a few seconds before the answer came back.

"You were there, weren't you? You saw the Ark fall?"

It was Zanni. Elijah overcame the surprise and replied, "Yeah, yeah I was there. What of it?" He was confused as to where this was going, he didn't know Zanni nearly well enough to anticipate the train of thought in this conversation.

"Then you saw him, the man that killed Berlioz. Correct?"

"Yeah, I did." How could he forget?

"Think about it, you know how good Leonhardt was, there is no way he'd fall to a mere MT. It had to be him. That monster, Maximilian Thermidor. He's the only one who could have killed Leonhardt."

Elijah was more confused regarding as to why this was such a big deal to Zanni.

He continued, ignoring the silence from Elijah, "I need to ask a favour. If he shows up today, he's mine, alright?"

He was glad there was no cockpit feed so that Zanni couldn't see the look on his face, "Excuse me? What the hell kind of right do you have to ask that of me? Why do you even care so much?"

"Raven, if you get in my way I will cut you down without hesitation. You shouldn't even be coming out with us, both you and Jan. B-Rankers will just get in the way or worse, someone killed."

Elijah's opinion of the Russian Raven was never that high to begin with. This cemented it as low as it could go.

"Maximilian killed a lot of people's friends and family, like fuck am I gonna just let you have him. If you want a swing at him, get the fuck in line!"

There was a moment of silence before the channel was cut from the other side, leaving Elijah alone once again.

He decided not to dwell on Zanni's attitude, knowing that they'd be fighting together soon and he needed to know that he wouldn't abandon him if it came down to it.

That raised the question of when exactly they'd be deployed, that in turn lead Elijah to wondering what Leonemeccanica was doing about giving them an Operator.

From what he knew, which could be wrong, Ravens were flat out unable to go out in their AC without an Operator supervising them. It was part of the original declaration that the Corporations signed when the Ravens became an independent faction, a security measure to try and prevent situations where Ravens went off on their own, causing trouble for the Corporations.

Obviously it wasn't a completely flawless system, Nine Ball's rampage was proof of that.

He hadn't been given a pre-designated channel for an Operator like usual, so he didn't know what frequency he should be dialling in.

In fact, looking at a list of saved channels on a side monitor, the only one he had preloaded on his com system that he could actually use right now was Sajjan's. Sat just below Sajjan's channel, was Tom's com channel.

It was like a fresh knife was driven into the only days old wound, it was impossible to escape the reminders that he was gone. Elijah would never hear his voice again over that knackered microphone Tom had to use.

He highlighted the channel, pausing for a moment.

_I won't let you down again. Even at my own expense, I'll do for everyone what I couldn't for you._

The channel vanished as he pressed delete, erasing it. As Elijah settled into the seat, he wondered how long each of them had left. He couldn't even wonder who would get to go home, because they had no home to speak of anymore.

They had no place left in this world, no place for them in the new one. The Ravens were living on borrowed time until they either died out, or disappeared.

 

#####

 

… _W_ _e are little more than animals on a leash..._

… _Monsters who corrupt others to become monsters themselves…_

… _You know what will happen if you don't change course…_

… _You won't like what you find if you keep going…_

Elijah's eyes cracked open, the glare from monitors making them water slightly. He didn't remember falling asleep, but the clock on his HUD showed that it hadn't even been two hours.

That said, the time felt wasted. The fatigue that had been getting progressively worse over the last few days wasn't going to be broken by a few poor hours in an AC cockpit. The bunks on the Venture weren't exactly comfortable, they were made with pure functionality in mind, although they even managed to fail in that regard.

Wiping his face with the sleeve of his jumpsuit, he sat up in his seat, having slipped into a slouch.

Only a second later, the light on his com unit blinked. _What phenomenal timing I have_. He accepted the line to apparently join a networked channel, a secondary monitor lit up with three other names and vital readouts. Right now, alongside himself, were Sajjan, Mary and Sara. Jan and Zanni still had channel requests waiting.

He joined the channel part way through a conversation, "-n is having trouble connecting to the networked channel, I think… I think he's kicking the receiver right now." Mary's voice came through first.

Sara replied immediately. "If he's having com trouble how the hell would you know?" Elijah just let them carry on, if they were paying attention to their own monitors, they'd notice him joining.

"His direct channels are working fine, its t-"

"-ou hear me? Hello?" Jan interrupted, his name and vitals appearing on the secondary monitor. The name of his AC, Blind Bold was listed underneath just like everyone else. There would have been more detailed information but with the number of people in the networked channel, there wasn't space on his monitor.

He took the chance to speak, "Hey Jan, got that com unit behaving?" With Jan that made five of them, the only one still out of the network was Zanni.

"Oh hey Elijah," Jan said, some static still hissing over his connection, "Yeah it's not perfect yet but at least it's connecting. Did they say why we're all on a network?"

He'd only caught the tail end of the conversation, Elijah had no answer to Jan's question and wanted to know as well. Ravens didn't usually use networked channels because direct channels could handle up to three people and that was typically the most people that needed to communicate with each other.

Zanni's name popped up on the secondary monitor while Mary gave the answer, "There isn't enough space in the Venture's control room to manage all of us individually during an operation of this size, that and there's a lack of top tier Operators, let alone ones that were willing to organise an operation of this size."

That made sense, the majority of missions that Ravens went on were a cut and dry affair, the Operator didn't have to stress too much, so long as the Raven wasn't a rookie at least. This mission would be entirely different.

Six Ravens. Literally hundreds of enemies. A direct attack on a Corporation headquarters. All of this on top of the fact that they'd be on the frontline as well with the Venture participating in the operation. You could probably count on one hand the number of Operators that had actual combat experience of their own.

Mary continued, "There was only one Operator willing to even try coordinating us all at once, so we're being networked to help her keep track of us. They're setting up her workstation right now."

"And who exactly," said Zanni, now speaking up, "Is this Operator?"

"That'd be me."

A voice Elijah recognised answered him. "My name is Fiona Jarnefeldt, I will be your Operator today."

 _Her? I didn't know she was considered a top-tier Operator?_ Zanni decided to take over the conversation, "I've never heard of you? Why even bother giving your name?" Elijah scowled at the screen, Zanni was stepping out of line right off the bat for literally no reason whatsoever. "What makes you think you can keep up with us?"

"Woa-"

Mary began to speak but Fiona overrode her immediately, "I don't know Roughcut, can you keep up with me? I only know one man that could and you ain't him. So sit the fuck down and shut up."

Zanni's silence said it all, Mary chimed in, "Shit, put some cream on that burn, Zanni. You got told."

"Now that you're all here," Fiona said, ignoring Mary's snark, "We don't have long until deployment. None of you are new to this so I'll spare you the bullshit, there are only two things I need to say."

There was a pause, "The first you can guess, should Thermidor step foot onto the battlefield, you are to avoid him at all costs. I've seen what he can do so engaging him is off the table no matter what."

This was instantly met with shouts of anger and objection.

"What?!"

"You can't be serious!"

"He needs to pay!"

"He's dead if I s-"

Fiona shouted louder than all of them combined, "Silence!" Not a single word left any of them, all of them shocked by Fiona's outburst.

"The second is related to the first," She continued without missing a beat, "It's probably the more important than it as well…"

That set Elijah's mind running, _Wait, more important than Thermidor? What could that possibly be?_ Fiona provided the answer, one that he didn't expect and one he certainly didn't want to hear.

"You all wanna know how many of you are left? How many Ravens still breathe, let alone those able to fight? Eleven. There are eleven of you left. Out of fifty six, barely twenty percent of the Ravens still live."

This hit everyone equally, no matter who you were. Only one in five of them remained, that was a massive loss. He knew hundreds had died escaping the falling Ark, but forty five dead Ravens was a weight he wasn't ready for.

Fiona's voice dropped, like she was trying to talk about something she wanted nothing to do with, "That's why my second point is this. I don't want to have to listen to another Raven dying over a com channel. I've already lost my best friend, I will not lose any of you. The second point is a request that you all return alive."

All that Elijah could think of, was that Raven's identity. Who was it that she heard die? Did he know them?

It was Sajjan that broke the following silence that fell, "Do not fret Fiona, we will come back. I couldn't let you go through that again."

Elijah could relate, he'd had to listen to exactly the same thing, he didn't want to hear it again either. He didn't need anyone else's voice keeping him up at night.

"GA won't know what hit them," said Sara with a rather unusual amount of cheer in her voice, "We'll do what we do best!"

"Damn right!" Shouted Mary with renewed vigor. It seemed like everyone was psyching themselves up, trying their best to hide it. If Elijah could feel it, he'd bet that everyone else could as well.

The hole left by forty five dead Ravens, left by the hundreds of dead Ark staff. The fear that Maximilian would show up. Jan, Mary, Zanni and Sara didn't see it, they didn't know what he could do. Watching that monster break Berlioz, watching him blow Tom's transporter out of the air.

Elijah and Sajjan were the only two that knew what he was really capable of. Then again…

… _I've seen what he can do…_

_Was she there? Did she see the Ark fall? If she knew what Maximilian could do, she must have seen Ber-_

It hit Elijah like a thousand bricks. Of course, that's why the name Fiona rang a dim bell when he saw her that night in the Venture's cafeteria with Mary and Jan.

… _Someone get Fiona on the line…_

Just before Berlioz appeared, his Operator for that mission had shouted that before announcing the incoming AC as Supplice.

The pieces had fallen into place. Fiona didn't just see the Ark fall, she was part of its defence effort along with the last Raven standing on that deck.

He wanted to say something, to confirm the idea running around his head as true but Elijah couldn't bring himself to speak. If it indeed was true, then she had to listen to Berlioz's life end, just like he heard Tom's last words.

Maximilian had taken both of them. There was no way he'd let him take anyone else, he'd face justice just like Miles would.

"Alright," said Fiona, clearing her throat, "This is the mission brief. Your primary objective is to break through GA's defences and enter Maxwell. Once inside, Leonemeccanica's ground forces will infiltrate the complex and search for Miles. Now this is of absolute importance, should you find Miles first for any reason, you are to bring him in alive and unharmed. That is Leonemeccanica's main condition for this operation, they wish for him to stand trial for the crimes committed by GA in this war."

It pained Elijah to think about having to bring him in unharmed, he at least wanted to rough him up a little, even just an ounce of payback for the horror he'd unleashed on them all.

"Are there any secondary objectives?" Asked Sara, "Anything we should keep an eye out for?"

A short pause followed before Fiona replied, "There are the sixteen defensive emplacements surrounding Maxwell that will prove troublesome for Leonemeccanica's ground and completely deny our air forces, if possible, targeting and destroying those positions will make this operation go a lot smoother and let us deploy air support."

A shudder rolled through Elijah and everyone fell silent as another quickly followed it, a distant thunder on the very edge of his hearing.

"Alright, this is it Ravens, we're approaching the combat zone. The Venture wasn't built with direct contact in mind, normally it'd never get this close but you guys will be easy targets during a high altitude drop so Lorenza is bringing us in low for the drop. That's gonna put the Venture right inside Maxwell's defensive perimeter."

As if to back up Fiona's words, the rumbling's frequency ramped up dramatically, loose objects rattling and falling over around the small hanger.

"The second you're all clear, the Venture will be pulling out and moving to a holding pattern above Maxwell. So there'll be no fire support on hand, you'll have to make do with what you have and the forces on the ground."

Everything suddenly went sideways as a loud blast rang out, Elijah even heard Fiona react to the sudden shift. People were shouting in the command centre but he couldn't make any of it out.

"Ok drop is in thirty seconds, get ready and confirm mission start on touch down!"

Elijah's hands tightened on the controls, trying to keep his nerves under wraps. He was genuinely surprised when Zanni spoke up.

"Operator, for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it now! Everyone switch to Combat Mode now!"

It wasn't standard practice to allow live weapons in a hanger, but it was almost certain that they'd need to start shooting the second they were out of the door.

In sequence, everyone chimed in.

"Roughcut, switching to Combat Mode."

"This is Prometheus, switching to Combat Mode."

"Blind Bold here, Combat Mode engaged."

"Phantom has switched to Combat Mode!"

"White Glint, switching to Combat Mode."

Finally, "This is Havok, switching to Combat Mode."

This was it, everyone was ready to drop into what could be the end for any of them. There was no beating about the bush, even with Fiona's request and Sajjan's promise, Elijah didn't know how many of them would walk away from this. Could they really make it through alive?

Maybe before all this, he could have been confident in their skills or even at the very least, hoped on hope that they'd all pull through.

But these days, everyone's hope had run dry. The reserves of faith were spent and everyone was fighting with the last dregs of strength left in them.

Fiona's voice rang loud in their ears, "Five seconds! Good luck Ravens and good hunting! Make them pay!"

Even in the cockpit, Elijah heard the sound of the drop doors below him opening, the cacophony of noise pouring into the Hanger. He didn't need Havok's external microphone to hear it.

The sound of weapons fire, missiles peeling through the air and near constant explosions ringing out.

Deep down, he still wondered, what was he supposed to do once this was over? It wasn't like anything would be the same again. Could he hold the same dreams after all this?

He wondered on this for the split second he got before the gantry released him and everyone else, sending them feet first into hell.

The moment he was clear, he instantly began to burn Havok's boosters to control his descent, Fiona hadn't been kidding when she said it was a low drop, it was less than half a kilometre from the release point to the ground.

But it was enough time for him to see the state of the battle. It reminded him of the Ark, breaking through that cloud layer and seeing nothing but smoke and fire.

Just like then, it was absolute chaos. There were no defined battle lines at this point in the engagement, both forces had become an incoherent mess with each side engaging at near point-blank or melee range.

A significant amount of Leonemeccanica's ground forces kept on the Venture were armoured personnel carriers and tanks. They were the only Corporation to still utilise a standing force that was built around traditional armoured vehicles, while having a comparatively smaller number of MTs.

Those tanks carried more powerful cannons than Gibbons or even Leonemeccanica's own GO-G3, but they had a considerably lower rate of fire meaning that if the first shot wasn't a critical hit, they'd have to endure whatever retaliation came back at them until the next round was ready.

Elijah couldn't get a decent look at GA's forces during the short drop, choosing to focus on not smashing into the ground.

The second he touched down, Sajjan's voice came over the com channel, "Alright, that's everyone! Operator, confirming mission start!"

On Elijah's radar, the five other green squares on the small display scattered away from him, everyone independently engaging their own targets.

The shadow cast by the Venture overhead passed quickly as the air carrier pulled up, trying to escape Maxwell's defences as soon as possible. It was an incredible spectacle if nothing else.

Maxwell's anti-aircraft guns and missile emplacements battering the underside of the Venture, punching holes in the armour and scorching metal.

The Venture returned the favour in its own unique way. Mounted into the underside of the colossal air carrier were six turreted weapon systems that only the Venture had. They were an integral part of Leonemeccanica's research into directed energy weapons, a field they had made the most advances in until Rosenthal's Omer Science Technology division began their own efforts into the subject.

These weapons were large plasma beam emitters that fired burning streams of energy that could boil through meters of even the hardest armour plating in seconds. However, according to a Venture staff member he spoke to, their impossible strength was offset by several significant disadvantages.

They required ridiculous amounts of power to function, putting a huge drain on the Venture's power grid. Also, they generated extraordinary amounts of heat, meaning they could only be fired so much in a short period of time before they were forced to cool down to prevent overheating.

But as the Venture was only going to be in range for not even a minute, it went all out, firing all six emitters at once, carving burning lines into the ground and the Maxwell main structure, explosions blooming from MTs and gun systems caught in the beam's glow.

Someone shouting his name dragged his attention back to what was happening around him, "Havok! Get fucking moving and start fighting!"

It was Mary, her Prometheus passing him on the left, assault rifle blazing away at a MT he almost couldn't believe he was seeing.

Mary's target was an MT01-SS, nicknamed 'Sunshine'. A relic built by GA before the Great Destruction, considered obsolete even before the development of the current workhorse MT, the GBN-02 Gibbon. The Sunshine was one of the first mass produced MTs, when the classification of 'Muscle Tracer' didn't exist at the time.

It looked like an angular box on a pair of thin reverse join legs with no distinct head or arms. With two twin barrelled light cannons that were mounted on limited traversal mountings and an option to attach a small rocket system on top, it was hopelessly under armoured and hilariously outgunned by virtually everything on the battlefield today.

It was slow, clunky and difficult to even turn around corners. Elijah was struggling to figure out why it was even on the battlefield, they were little more than target practice, even for Leonemeccanica's tanks.

Mary was yelling again, "If you don't start moving I'm going to fucking drop you right here and now you useless piece of shit!"

That was all the motivation he needed, pushing Havok's throttle and letting the AC slide forwards into the maelstrom of smoke, dust and fire.

A Gibbon burst out of a particularly thick dust cloud, machine guns roaring as rounds scattered wildly. A handful clipped Havok but Elijah weaved the AC side to side, ensuring the MT couldn't get a bead on him.

Despite the hanger engineer's comment regarding his machine gun's re-chambering, he didn't notice any decrease in effectiveness as he tore the Gibbon apart with a short burst of fire from his left hand weapon. He put this down to the Gibbon's less than stellar armour.

The moment the Gibbon fell, a Sunshine shakily made its way towards him. There was something weird about how it was being piloted, he knew that the pilot was likely struggling with the awkward controls but this MT was flat out not moving correctly.

_Are they seriously having that much trouble with the controls? Or are they a ro-_

What he'd managed to forget in the shock of the drop came flooding back as his stomach twisted.

… _It's likely those protecting Maxwell are actually civilians forced to fight…_

This was no pilot. Not even an inexperienced soldier working with some unfamiliar technology.

Standing in front of him was some poor person, likely scared shitless, forced onto this battlefield to fight for GA.

He couldn't shake it, in front of him was a target. At the same it was a civilian. Those two things could not be reconciled, one had to take priority and no matter how much he fought it he'd known from the beginning what the end result would be.

It was time to make those sacrifices for the better world.

A half second burst of fire was enough to destroy the flimsy walker, holes opening up in both the front and rear as the rounds went clean through.

Maybe it was a trick of the light, or his already shaky mind messing with him, but for a split second he could have sworn he saw something fall out of the MT as it crumpled into a heap.

If he was going to make it through this with the contents of his stomach still in place, he needed to stop thinking. He couldn't dwell on this.

So he didn't.

Elijah finally turned off to the world and he did what he had too.

Again and again and again he did what he thought was the right thing.

GA's hastily put together defensive force fell apart in minutes as the six ACs carved their way through endless numbers of MTs. In the end, Maximilian never made an appearance and was presumed to be absent from this fight for whatever reason much to everyone's relief. Once the Ravens stepped in, the fight on the ground was over.

The same couldn't be said in the air. Even when Maxwell's defence platforms were destroyed and Leonemeccanica's fighters were deployed, the remnants of GA's air force that attacked the Ark arrived, attacking the Venture.

It was Fiona's strained voice that snapped Elijah back to reality.

"We need a situation update! The Venture is getting hammered and we can't take much more, are you inside Maxwell!?"

Zanni and Jan were closest to the massive fortress, with Zanni speaking first, "We've mopped up the stragglers but the blast doors have been shut. We can't break it open with AC scale weapons and hacking it open will take far too long. What do you suggest Operator?"

There was muffled speaking from Fiona's end of the channel before another voice joined in, "I suggest you get clear of that door, the Venture is going to roll out the red carpet for you just this once!"

It was Lorenza, who immediately began shouting at the other staff in the command centre, "Alright bring us around! Heading two three nine, altitude five hundred meters! It's another low pass so don't get sloppy now, we aren't out of this yet!"

In the time between their drop and now, clouds had blotted out the sun, meaning they hadn't been able to see what condition the Venture was in.

They'd be able to tell in just a moment as the growing rumbling signalled the approach of the air carrier.

Elijah moved Havok over to Mary's position asking over the channel, "Where're they coming in from?"

Instead of answering, she pointed with her sniper rifle into the sky behind him. Turning, around, he could make out a bizarre orange glow building behind the cloud layer.

_What the hell is…_

Only a second later, his eyes widened, stunned at what he was seeing. From behind that orange glow, the Venture ploughed through the clouds.

The reason for the glow was the multitude of fires raging over nearly every surface of the air carrier, an enormous thick trail of black smoke and debris flowing behind it. It looked more like a meteorite burning up in the atmosphere with armour breaking away and pieces falling away as a mixed horde of GA and Leonemeccanica aircraft swarmed around the flaming hulk.

Even in the middle of this manoeuvre, the Venture continued to trade fire with them, point defences trying desperately to swat both the fighters and their missiles out of the air, many managing to slam into the hull.

Lorenza's voice rang out over the com channel, "Put that fire out and drag him to the corner! Alright, roll thirty degrees starboard! Line up a sustained broadside on that door!"

The Venture rolled onto its right hand side, the three beam emitters on its left underside now having a direct line of sight on Maxwell.

"Fire!"

The barrels of the Venture's emitters glowed blue even through the orange and red of the flames, before three bright blue beams streaked through the air with a flash.

The huge blast door that sealed Maxwell's central building held firm for only a second before the combined fire of the emitters boiled the tough metal away, leaving a hole large enough for an AC to walk through.

"Thank you for the assist, Venture!" Shouted Sajjan

Lorenza's exhausted reply came back somewhat distorted, "Just finish this! We're going to pull out before we fall out of the sky, good luck!"

The Venture followed through with its roll, banking hard right and climbing back through the clouds.

Sara, as the highest ranking member of Leonemeccanica on the battlefield, organised the remaining ground forces, "Alright everyone, converge on Maxwell's entrance! I want everyone to have their gun's trained and ready to fire!"

APCs rolled forwards before coming to a halt inside Maxwell's perimeter and unloading soldiers who stacked up against the sides of their transport, rifles pointed towards the still glowing hole cut in Maxwell's main entrance. Tanks and MTs also moved forwards, their weapons trained in the same direction.

If anything came out of that door, it would never survive. Sajjan, Mary, Sara and Elijah were still outside Maxwell's perimeter wall while Zanni and Jan had made their way almost to the foot of the ramp that lead up to the blast door.

"Ok, Roughcut, Blind Bold, advance on that door but be ready for anything ok? Everyone else, cover them as they go in." Fiona's voice was affected by the same interference as Lorenza but thankfully she was still understandable. Elijah assumed that their communications must have been somewhat damaged by the GA fighters.

"Alright Jan, let's go." Muttered Zanni as Roughcut slowly walked forwards, rifle and machine gun in each hand raised. Jan said nothing but equally had both of his own weapons pointed at the door.

"Wait, Zanni, why am I getting a radiation warning from your AC?"

As she said this, the great blast door they had been walking towards shivered slightly before slowly raising, revealing nothing but a pitch black expanse inside, no lighting to show them what was inside.

"Zanni, I think we shoul-"

Jan didn't get to finish his sentence as he was cut short by a pair of rifle rounds slamming into his chest. His armour was apparently punched through with virtually no resistance.

His vitals showed serious injury, but he was still alive as Blind Bold crumpled into a heap on the ramp next to Roughcut.

"Jan!" Everyone shouted in unison, everyone rushing forwards.

It was Zanni's voice that was the most audible over the combined noise.

"Jan! Jan! What happened!? Say something!"

There was no answer, he was either unconscious or his communications had been knocked out, the previous issues he'd had coming back.

Something moving in the dark behind the entrance to Maxwell drew their attention, everyone's eyes all looking in the same direction. As a familiar voice crackled over their coms,

"Not my usual style but today, I've got my work cut out for me with six of you."

The jet black frame of Unsung strode forwards into the dull afternoon. Even just looking at it walking towards them all was enough to send Elijah almost into a panic immediately.

On the other hand, he realised that without even meaning to, everyone had given Zanni exactly what he wanted.

"Maximilian Thermidor! You fucking bastard! You're dead, you hear me!" He was almost screaming at this point as Roughcut's boosters roared to life, blasting the AC forwards as he fired both weapons with little regard for actually aiming.

"Roughcut pull back! I said pull back! Disengage! For god's sake he'll kill you!" Fiona's shouting went totally unheard as Zanni closed the distance between them.

But as Elijah, Sajjan and Fiona already knew, Unsung was entirely unfazed by Zanni's fire, every single round slamming into Unsung's Primal Armour.

By the time Zanni realised what was happening and began to slow down to avoid Unsung, it was too late for any of them to do anything.

"Oh Go-"

Unsung struck out with its right arm the second that Roughcut was close enough, the motion bringing Zanni's AC to a complete standstill.

His vitals flat lined.

On the networked com channel screen inside Havok, Zanni's name went solid red before his status greyed out, dropping him from the network.

"Oh fuck. Shit… Zanni's dead." Sara's voice sounded hollow over the channel, like she was still trying to process the events unfolding in front of all of them.

She echoed the same thoughts running around Elijah's head.

_Zanni's dead and Jan isn't getting up. Two of us are down and he's not even been here for a minute._

Suddenly, the gathered Leonemeccanica forces opened fire on Unsung, hundreds of machine gun rounds and dozens of shells impacting the PA field surrounding the AC.

Maximilian's voice hid nothing, he was thoroughly enjoying himself, "Now now, isn't this a little unfair? There's so many of you and only one of me! Perhaps I should even things out…"

Unsung didn't move, but one of the tanks firing from outside Maxwell's perimeter suddenly exploded, a moment later machine gun rounds began to land around Sara.

"Wait what the fuck?! What's happening?!"

It took only a second before Sajjan's voice came through, "Goddamn it! GA reinforcements!"

Elijah saw them now, approaching from their left flank, scores of Gibbons and Solarwinds advancing on their position. This new force far and away outnumbered and outgunned the remaining Leonemeccanica forces, they'd never win.

He couldn't help mumble to himself as he genuinely began to lose his head, "What the fuck do we do? What do we do?"

"Alright, Sara, Mary, support the Leonemeccanica forces in dealing with the new threat, keep them away from Maxwell!" Sajjan's voice came through loud.

"Ok!"

"Got it!"

The pair of them slid away, moving to engage the incoming GA forces. With the two of them, Leonemeccanica had a far better chance of survival, even if victory was still a distant hope.

"Elijah, I need you to go after Miles. Enter Maxwell and bring him out, I will keep Maximilian occupied."

Elijah wanted to object but Fiona actually stepped in for him, "I can't allow that White Glint, you're just going t-"

"Fiona we're all dead if we don't do something! There is no second chance after this, no trying again! We stop GA here and now or we let them win!"

Sajjan spoke the truth, Elijah couldn't deny that.

_He knows the score as well, I guess…_

"Sajjan," Began Elijah quietly, "You make him pay alright? You fucking make him pay, you hear?"

"Just get inside Maxwell Elijah!" Sajjan shouted back as White Glint shot into the air, firing off a pair of missiles that split into dozens of warheads, every single one slamming into Unsung.

From inside the blast, Maximilian's voice came through clear, "Oh? So you're stepping up to the base today? Let's see what you've got then! I expect a lot from you White Glint, live up to that reputation!"

Unsung leapt into the air, chasing Sajjan and leaving the entrance to Maxwell entirely unprotected. Elijah took the opening before it closed flaring Havok's boosters and pushing the throttle to the maximum, the AC sliding up the ramp and past the bodies of both Blind Bold and Roughcut.

He had no time to look at them as he passed through the open door into the dark. Inside was similar to the hangars that they'd found in the mountains. An enormous cavernous open space, one that was likely used for storage or holding.

"Operator, can you find me a way down?" He asked hoping that she wasn't too busy to help him out now.

There was a few seconds before she came back, "Why the lowest floor?"

"I figure he'd be hiding in the most secure location, where else would that be but as far underground as possible?"

It was an entire minute before she spoke to him again, "There's a service elevator that should take you directly to the lowest floor. But… I don't know what that floor is. The elevator goes an extra level lower than the structure's blueprints show."

"That's fine, I'll check there first and then move up from there!" He pushed Havok forwards, panning the head around in case something came out of the dark at him.

"Havok, you need to calm the fuck down, your vitals are spiking above safe levels." Fiona was clearly monitoring everyone's physical status as well as managing their battle information. She'd certainly shown them all why she was Berlioz's Operator.

"I'm trying, ok?" That was a lie but he didn't care at this point. "I'm getting onto the elevator now, I can remote it so I'll be on my way down in a second."

He found the elevator's remote channel immediately, setting it to descend as low as it could possibly go.

This elevator was considerably faster than those in GA's manufacturing base, clearing floor after floor in seconds.

Fiona's voice suddenly came through but with considerable interference on the line, "Havok! I'm getting massive radiation warnings, the readings are off the sc-" Her voice crackled into static before she could even finish speaking.

They had gone far lower before and still had contact with their Operator, it wasn't how far down he was that was causing this communication failure.

 _Radiation? Didn't she mention that just before Maximilian showed up?_ The thought of whatever could be generating that much radiation terrified him. If it was enough to disrupt his communications then a cockpit breach would be the end of him.

The elevator came to an abrupt stop, having being distracted by Fiona's last words to him he had forgotten about his rapid descent.

But ahead of him was nothing but darkness, the elevator safety lights providing no comfort. But the very moment he took a single step forwards off the elevator's ramp, light beamed down on him from above as a single row of spotlights blazed into life.

A second row in front of them clicked on, then a third and so on until the entire room was illuminated by pure white light.

Elijah found himself standing in what he could only describe as a coliseum, a gigantic circle with walls that reached up into a dome. Those walls and ceiling were covered in bullet holes as well as sections that looked like they'd been melted, the surface boiled and then cooled into a twisted shape.

But the most eye catching feature of the room, was also the one that terrified him the most. For in the centre of this room, stood an AC like no other he could ever even imagine. To say that Unsung was strange and unfamiliar, this machine was on an entirely different level.

It stood almost twice as tall as Havok, making it nearly twenty metres in height. If pushed to describe it, he could only think of Rayleonard's 03-AALIYAH frame, but if someone had put it on some kind of steroids. It was enormous, but the size of its weapons was flat out ridiculous.

In its right hand was a Gatling gun made from five separate rotary cannons, the entire weapon system must have been over twenty five meters from end to end. In its left, was something that looked like a colossal tuning fork with a massive set of glowing cylinders mounted around the rear end, this was an even longer weapon, easily passing thirty meters in length.

_How… What…_

His com line crackled, despite the fact he'd dropped off the networked channel on the way down.

The voice that came through was one he'd heard before, but never expected to hear while facing the monstrous AC in front of him.

"Ahhh, so this is the bird sent to pluck me from my nest? And alone I see? Aren't you a brave one, little Raven…"

The machine shifted, taking one long step forwards.

Elijah knew who this was, "You're… You're Miles Torus, aren't you?"

He heard clapping from the other end, "Congratulations! From voice alone and first try? Someone was paying attention during my broadcast, that's nice to know. Oh, I am sorry I haven't introduced you have I?"

He thought for a moment that someone else was in the room but Miles followed through with the answer to Elijah's puzzlement.

"This is the 00-Aretha. You my friend get to be part of the first live combat demonstration of the next generation of Armored Core technology."


	20. Forgiver Forgetter

The dance that White Glint and Unsung danced was one that was almost too fast to keep track of. They whirled around each other at impossible speeds, simultaneously lining up their aim and firing on each other while doing their utmost to throw off the other's lock on them, or at least one of them was making the effort to dodge.

Sajjan weaved his AC between a mix of armour-piercing rounds as well as the streams of Kojima Particles fired from Unsung's disabling rifle. At the same time he tracked the black AC with both rifles, sparing not a single shell as he fired constantly, hammering Unsung's PA.

The amount of evasive booster usage he was performing was beginning to take its toll on White Glint's energy reserves, he couldn't keep up this pace, if he pushed it too hard then he'd run himself completely dry and be no better than target practice while his generator refilled the capacitors.

Fiona was coordinating both Mary and Sara as they fought the GA reinforcements, leaving him to deal with Maximilian alone. He didn't mind this though, it meant he could focus on the matter at hand.

Sajjan backed off, trying to get out of Maximilian's range.

_I need a break from this, I need something to distract him!_

He could call for assistance from either Sara or Mary, but Maximilian would know what was happening immediately as he'd hijacked their channel. There was no hiding from this man.

Maximilian picked up on the move immediately, "Oh? Throwing in the towel already? I can't have that now!"

Unsung powered forwards with a flash step, flaring its OB for a split second, propelling the machine within melee range.

Maximilian followed through with a downward swipe of its gunblade, looking to hack his right arm off at the shoulder. It missed by inches as Sajjan deftly twisted away from the blade, but at the same time he lost his balance and tumbled to the ground, rolling and bouncing as his AC slid across the baked ground.

But there was no time to rest, he picked himself up and resumed his backwards motion as another vicious swing came at him. Had it connected it would have decapitated White Glint and effectively signalled the end of the fight.

"My, aren't you a slippery one? Why won't you sit still!?"

"And let you kill me? That's not how this ends!" Sajjan was shouting back now, the strain of fighting forcing him to drop his usual demeanour. He hated it but his focus was on staying alive and trying to find a counter to Unsung's PA.

_My rifles are getting nowhere and my missiles are equally ineffective. None of the weapons at my disposal are cut out for this._

Even thinking on it, he had no idea if any weapon carried by an AC could penetrate that shield. He'd watched as Berlioz pumped shell after shell from his grenade cannon into that monstrous machine as it emerged unharmed.

At this rate, if he couldn't figure out a way through, then all he was doing here was prolonging the inevitable. Maximilian would eventually overpower him and then move onto the already busy Mary and Sara.

He could never let that happen, Maximilian would be stopped here and now.

"Not how this ends? Then do tell me, how do you see this panning out for you? Because I can assure you that you won't walk away from this!"

Unsung resumed its unrelenting pursuit of him, wildly lashing out.

"I'm going to cut you open and bleed you fucking dry!"

Sajjan took note of this, it wasn't the same as on the Ark. Back then, Maximilian had been far more composed and patient, willing to endure the long walk to his target as they fell apart, panicking.

He was able to keep his own frustration and violence in line as long as he had total control of the battle. If he was the one pulling the strings then he had no reason to get so agitated and flustered. The moment his little theatrical performance drifted off script he lost control of his façade.

That smooth and calm mask that he'd worn back then had fallen away to reveal the real Maximilian Thermidor, a bitter and violent creature with nary a shred of humanity left in him.

Unsung fired off another shot with its disabling rifle, the crackling stream of particles flew by him. Even a near miss was enough to disrupt White Glint's OS, several monitors malfunctioning and false error messages flaring up.

Sajjan had to work on restarting those particular systems at the same time as dodging Maximilian's increasingly frantic swinging and rifle fire.

"Why won't you just die?!"

"Because I've got something to live for! I have people counting on me and I won't let them down!"

A second stream of particles shot out from the disabling rifle, fouling Sajjan's attempts to fix his AC's operating system, new faults and errors springing up.

Maximilian's almost ragged voice hissed through the speakers at him, "Berlioz said exactly the same thing and he now lies dead in the ruins of your precious Ark! Why don't you join him!?"

A rifle round clipped him in the shoulder, the boosters mounted there misfiring, spinning White Glint against the direction Sajjan had intending to move in.

_Oh…_

The next particle stream caught him dead on, everything displaying warnings and errors, one of his secondary monitors crackled before dying completely.

White Glint crashed to the ground, tumbling until it came to a stop. Sajjan began the process of rebooting the OS when the dull sound of shells impacting his AC rung out.

"Finally! There we go! There are none that can remain standing, every single fucking one of you will fall! You will all pay for the life you took from me!"

Maximilian was still shooting him as he lay on the ground, desperately trying to restart White Glint.

His main display went live just in time for Sajjan to see the heel of Unsung's foot smash into his AC's head, the structure caving in and nearly half of the optical units were completely destroyed. Like the 03-AALIYAH head, he'd chosen a design that used multiple optics to create a single high-resolution image that could track objects at extremely high speed.

This was crucial to the design philosophy of both White Glint and the Aaliyah, to be able to fight in close quarters while moving close to top speed.

A side effect of this was that he could lose a significant amount of his optics and still be able to see, just with a limited field of view.

Sajjan was now effectively blind on his left hand side as the heel crushed White Glint's head again.

"See what you are?! Little more than dirt for me to tread on! You're no better than the rest, all of you are so fucking weak and you had the nerve to call yourself the best?! None of you are worthy of that title! It belongs to me! Nothing fucking matters until I stand above you all!"

Unsung dropped the disabling rifle and grabbed White Glint, hooking its fingers under the 'collar' and dragging the AC to its knees.

"Go on! Beg! Beg for me to let you live! I want to hear you say it!" Maximilian shook him violently, Sajjan was thrown around the cockpit seat in the harness, the material straining against his weight.

He would never give into this savage's demands, he would not grovel. He still had something he needed to do, he needed to apologise to Elijah.

There was no way he could crack or die before then, he had to repair their friendship and say sorry for the terrible things he never should have said. He couldn't take those words back, but he could make a start on fixing the mess he made.

"I will not, you will never hear me beg!"

He tried to raise his left arm but Maximilian was faster, bringing the gunblade down on the limb's joint, cleaving it off in a single blow, carving through the metal and hydraulic lines with no difficulty.

Before Sajjan could even consider trying to retaliate with his right arm, Unsung stepped back and kicked the rifle out of his hand, the weapon skittering away from him.

"I've had enough of you…"

Sajjan could see on his fractured display, Unsung's right arm draw back, ready to run him through just like Berlioz and Zanni.

A green square appeared out of nowhere on his radar, closing on them in an instant.

"Hey! Shithead! Eat this!"

He didn't actually see what happened, one second Unsung was poised to strike, the next everything was spinning, rolling, the sky and ground blending into a blur.

White Glint came to a stop face down once again, but righting himself was more difficult considering he only had one arm now. Not to mention that his AC was responding sluggishly to his input, but it was Maximilian's screech that got him to push the frame as fast as possible to see what had happened.

"You… You fucking bitch! How dare you!? How dare you interrupt me!? You filthy piece of shit!"

Unsung was nearly a hundred meters away from him, slowly picking itself off the ground, its left arm bent the wrong way at the joint, swinging loosely. Next to Maximilian was Phantom, slowly dragging itself away from the impact scene.

Sajjan realised with horror as to why it was moving like that, neither of the legs on Sara's AC were moving, meaning the machine was crippled from the waist down.

White Glint was still shaky even on its hand and knees, the stability assist had completely failed meaning that standing up without falling over was next to impossible, but he needed to get up to stop Maximilian who had now got to his feet, limping slightly as the right knee appeared to be locking up.

"Sara! I can't get to you! You need to move!" He shouted in vain, as White Glint stumbled while trying to stand, crashing back into a heap.

Sara's voice came over distorted and harsh, "Don't sweat it, I'm fine, just let me get back up and I'll be good to go."

He didn't even have a chance to look away as Fiona started screaming.

"Sajjan! Mary! Anyone, fucking stop him! Stop him! Please! Fucking stop him!"

Maximilian stood over Phantom, reaching down and violently grabbing the AC by the back of its 'collar', wrenching its back into a harsh arc.

"No last words for you!"

He drove the gunblade through Phantom's back until the tip of the blade punched through the chest armour.

Sara's vitals instantly flat lined, her name going red before greying out.

Unsung ripped the weapon out of Sara's AC, letting the body slam back into the dust, immobile.

Another Raven gone. They were down to single digits.

Unsung turned to face White Glint who was struggling to make its way back to the rifle that was kicked away from him earlier.

He knew he'd never make it in time, choosing to roll over onto his back so that he could at least see that black AC advancing on him.

"Now…" Maximilian's voice came over the distorted channel, sounding like he was trying to act like his old false self but he couldn't quite pull it off anymore, "Where were we Sajjan? I think I was about to kill you so why don't we st-"

He heard the crack of the round pass over him before he realised what actually transpired in front of him.

Focusing White Glint's damaged optics, he saw the large hole in Unsung's right shoulder, a neat circle that you could see through from end to end, the sky shining through.

"What… I don't…" Maximilian's stunned voice came over the channel as more rounds passed over White Glint's body, Unsung recoiling as every shell slammed into its thin frame, the armour coming apart like paper.

_The Primal Armour… It's gone? The field fell?_

It took him only a moment to realise what had caused it, Sara's kamikaze attack had sent the pair of them flying, the rough impact with the ground either disrupted the field enough that it destabilised, or the Kojima Particle generating part of Unsung's power plant had been damaged and was no longer supporting the protective field.

Her last act had given them the opening they needed to bring him down. To finally put an end to the monster's invulnerability.

Unsung took an unsteady step forwards, its body riddled with holes before it sank to its knees, slumping into a low kneeling position.

Sajjan was trying to see where the shells had come from when Mary spoke up, "That's for every dead Raven you fucking monster!"

Her own contribution to the fight, even from so far away, Prometheus could reach out and strike Unsung with accuracy that only Mary could delivery. It went to show even someone like her cared deep down. You couldn't hide something like that when it burned so bright.

Little by little, Sajjan slowly got White Glint to stand up, even if he was hunched over, trying to keep his centre of gravity low.

Every step forwards was a struggle, but eventually he reached his rifle. Even while this was happening, Unsung remained unmoving, on its knees and staring into the sky. Sajjan wondered if he expected to see something up there that he hadn't before. What could Maximilian possibly find in that soiled sky?

White Glint limped over to the motionless Unsung, every minute it took to stumble forwards felt like years but even years eventually pass.

Fiona's voice crackled over the networked com channel, "Be careful White Glint, he could still pull something."

Before long he stood before Unsung, both machines equally battered, equally broken. But now it was Unsung on the ground and Sajjan was the one still standing.

Maximilian's AC wasn't completely disabled, its primary generator was clearly still running as Unsung's optic was still lit, even if it flickered slightly. The head lowered a little to stare straight at Sajjan.

"Do you have," Maximilian croaked, his voice breaking, "A dream? Something you would have given anything for?"

This wasn't what Sajjan expected, the vicious beast that had been fighting him only moments ago had been replaced with… Whatever this was.

Sajjan answered, "Everyone has a dream. They are what give us purpose, they guide us through life."

"But would you do anything for that dream? How far would you go for it?"

He thought for a moment, before, "I would not. No matter how noble or righteous someone's dream or goal, focusing on that at the detriment of all else is little more than a selfish obsession that will be the end of you."

A small, weak laugh came back at him to Sajjan's surprise, "I guess you're right. For decades my need for revenge burned and burned until there was nothing but that and ash. It reduced me to that singular goal alone. I should have known better."

Another laugh, this one genuine, like someone had just told the best joke he'd ever heard in his life. "When Berlioz's life was finally in my hands and I snuffed it out, I thought I'd be free of that rage, of that burning inside me. But I couldn't have been more wrong."

Sajjan, on any other day would have relented, maybe even felt sorry for the pathetic man now kneeling in front of him. But even as Maximilian spoke, a battle was being fought his heart.

One side that knew the right and correct thing to do, to let Maximilian stand trial for his crimes and be judged by the justice system as he should be. The other, wanted more than anything to press that rifle barrel into Unsung's chest and fire until the magazine ran dry.

_...You fucking make him pay…_

Elijah's words rang loud in the back of his head. That temptation to give in and lash out, to enact brutal violence on Maximilian in revenge for the horrors he had committed.

Sajjan flinched when Unsung suddenly moved, it's still functioning right arm reaching out and grabbing the frame of White Glint's rifle. He couldn't jump back or move away without falling over, just remaining upright was taking up all of his concentration.

But to his surprise, Maximilian didn't try and pull him over, instead bringing the barrel in line with Unsung's cockpit.

"I can see what I am, I know that I am indeed a monster. I just enjoy killing too much, I won't lie. My aspiration for vengeance destroyed whatever chance at redemption I could have possibly had. I killed so many of your friends so I'll give you this. I know it's what you want."

Sajjan would never admit it, but his finger twitched on that trigger, desperately trying not to squeeze it no matter how much he genuinely wanted to.

"Finish him White Glint, do it!" Fiona was shouting at him now, encouraging him to end Maximilian's life.

Elijah had asked him to make him pay. Sajjan knew what he had to do now.

He let go of the rifle.

Unsung unable to support the sudden weight dropped the weapon on the ground between them.

"You… You fool." Muttered Maximilian. "Why can't you just kill me? Why won't you do it!? You coward! Just give in! Give in and do it!"

"Maximilian Thermidor, if you surrender here and now, I will ensure that you face a fair trial. No one should be judged on a battlefield, you will see justice in its proper place. I'll never forget the things you've done, but I forgive you, even if no one else will."

In a flash, Unsung lashed out, grabbing onto White Glint and pulling himself upright until they were face to face at eye level. Sajjan could do nothing but keep his AC balanced against the new weight.

"Sajjan!" Fiona shouted, now dropping the professional mask as sheer panic took over.

Maximilian hissed at him, "Even now you mock me, you're all the same. All the fucking same! If I'm going to hell, you're coming with me!"

Fiona's voice rang out, "Massive energy spi- Shit! Sajjan move! He's overloading his generator! It'll-"

Sajjan began to kick away from Unsung, but he was too late.

He could only watch as his main display filled with white light.


	21. The Mark Has Been Made

The moment Miles finished talking, he levelled the massive twin-prong weapon in Aretha's left hand at Havok, amber and golden electricity arcing along its length.

That strange dirty yellow colour tipped him off that dodging whatever that thing fired was an absolute priority. It was the same colour that Supplice's and Unsung's PA field went when it was struck and activated.

Not even bothering to counter attack, Elijah threw Havok sideways, boosters flaring at maximum thrust. He was right to dodge as the second he did, a huge bolt of violently charged Kojima Particles travelled between the two prongs at a terrifying speed.

_Holy shit what the hell is that thing?!_

He got a chance to look at the point of impact from the Kojima bolt, dread flowing through him at the sight of it. As much as the bolt slightly resembled the pale stream that Unsung's disabling rifle fired, the only effect that rifle had was causing its target to apparently shut down for a short time.

Whatever Aretha fired was on a whole other level. It was not a weapon to disable your enemy, because the section of wall that the bolt made contact with bubbled and blistered like someone took a plasma torch to it, streams of liquid metal running down and even vaporising.

_I can't even allow myself to take a glancing hit from something like that!_

Miles' turned Aretha, the enormous machine surprisingly nimble on its legs, easily keeping up with Havok's pace as he strafed to the right.

"What do you think then? It's a marvellous sight isn't it!?" Miles sounded genuinely thrilled, like a child showing off their favourite toy. A lock warning flashed up on Havok's HUD as Aretha caught up with his movement.

This time the barrels on the multi-rotary cannon spooled up. There was no need to even suspect what that weapon system would do to Havok if Miles got a bead on him.

However no level of preparation could have stopped Elijah being completely stunned at the sheer number of rounds the weapon put out per second, the noise of it firing alone was deafening to him, he couldn't imagine how Miles put up with it.

That stream of lead tore the ground and walls up as Aretha tried to counter the considerable recoil generated. Elijah was beginning to assume that perhaps that Next Generation AC was actually more of a platform for testing weapon concepts, because for the time being, so long as he paid attention and didn't screw up, then he shouldn't get hit.

But that still left the problem of hitting back, he hadn't confirmed yet but it was safe to assume that this machine had the same PA field that Unsung used, meaning that his weapons would be effectively no better than dead weight in this fight.

Even as he thought this, Elijah still had to show that he wasn't just running around like a chicken. He squeezed off a short burst with both machine guns before bringing Havok to a complete stop and starting to strafe in the opposite direction, hoping to disorientate Miles.

Completely as expected, the machine gun rounds were stopped short by a large PA field that completely encircled the 00-Aretha, extending far enough to even cover the ends of the weapon systems.

"What the hell!? How is this supposed to be a fair fight huh?" Elijah shouted, now getting frustrated with his situation as another Kojima bolt zipped past him.

Miles laughed openly at him, "A fair fight? What on earth are you talking about? Please Raven, tell me, when was the last time you fought in a 'fair fight'?"

Elijah's confusion only lasted moments as Miles continued, completely ignoring the splash of AS missiles against his PA.

"There is no such thing as a fair fight, there will always be the strong and the weak. Some days you'll be on one side, other days you'll be on the other. Tell me, how often do you think the Ravens fell on the side of the strong? With your Armored Cores, the only ones that could challenge you were yourselves and even then you'd hold back!"

Elijah had to actually throw Havok to the ground to avoid the next Kojima bolt, the crackling energy searing the air above him.

_Jesus Christ I can barely keep this up!_

But at the same time, he was struggling not to listen to Miles. No matter what he thought of the man, he made sense. A Raven's whole purpose was to stand at the top, with no equal.

"I'll be honest and say, I don't even know why you're here?"

_What?! Seriously?!_

"What do you mean?! I'm here to stop you!" Something was wrong, Miles wasn't acting how he expected. Not that he had any real idea what to expect.

"Stop me? Stop me doing what exactly? I'm simply reaching for what I believe is rightfully mine. I hold a dream that is dear to me and I will achieve it by any means necessary! We will drag Humanity into the mud screaming, because it's what I must do to stand above everyone who has looked down on me!"

That hit Elijah like a boot to the stomach. _He… He really doesn't care._

"How can you possibly say that?! How many are dead because of your orders!? How could this possibly be worth it?! You've murdered thousands of innocent lives! Lives worth more than your dream, than anyone's dream! You aren't achieving anything! You're just a fucking murderer!"

Aretha opened up with its rotary cannons, this time Elijah wasn't quite fast enough on the evasion. The hail of rounds caught his left auxiliary AS launcher, the weapon exploding, taking the mounting joint with it.

Elijah lined up his gunsights on Aretha, no longer caring about his effectiveness as he unloaded onto the PA, squeezing both triggers until his fingers hurt.

"I suppose you're right. But why don't you, for once, count all the bodies behind you? Do that before you even think of trying to shame me for the lives I took! How much blood is on your hands? What did you end lives for? You killed for nothing but money! How dare you lecture me on the value of life!? You are the ones that put a price tag on it!"

Another Kojima bolt passed dangerously close to Havok as Aretha spun around continuing to track Elijah's every move.

"In your self-absorbed crusade against me, how many lives have you taken!? You weren't killing to stop me, you killed in the service of yet another Corporation to preserve the power they held! I will kill as many as I need to, if it lets me stand tall!"

The next burst of rotary cannon fire ripped up the ground in front of Havok, almost causing him to lose his balance.

_I need to stop listening to him. I need to shut him out._ But even as Elijah thought this he couldn't bring himself to do it because Miles spoke the truth that he'd failed to see all this time. Aretha spun on the spot, boosters flaring as Miles continued.

"I'll claw at power if it's the last thing I do! At least I'm not lying to myself. But you… You stand before me spouting righteous nonsense when you're killing in the name of the false peace the Corporations needed to survive? Tell me, is that way of living worth killing for?!"

The impossible happened as the twenty meter machine pulled off a flawless flash step, swinging the rotary cannon system like a club, smashing Havok across the arena with a single blow.

Elijah had done his best to evade the blow but in the end he only succeeded in lessening the impact enough so that it didn't flat out crush him. That didn't mean he escaped undamaged though.

Elijah's HUD had numerous warnings flashing, nothing critical but several sections of armour had been completely warped to the point that they'd no longer provide adequate protection should he take another hit like that.

If Aretha landed another blow, Havok's chest would cave in like an egg.

"Was I a little too rough? My apologies, I suppose you need to be able to walk if you're meant to be bringing me in for Leonemeccanica."

_Wait what? I never told him I was supposed to be taking him back to Leonemeccanica?_

Elijah picked Havok off the ground, jettisoning the now ruined missile launchers not that they were going to help him anyway.

"What are you talking about? I never said anything about bringing you in?"

Miles decided to fire off another Kojima bolt before answering, sending Havok skittering across the floor to avoid it.

"Of course, that was the plan all along."

Elijah froze, unable to move.

_What._

"The… The plan?"

"You never realised?" Began Miles, as Aretha slowly walked towards Havok. "Oh you poor naïve thing. You honestly thought you were acting on your own? That's just too sad, I can't possibly let you go on like that…"

Elijah raised both machine guns on instinct more than rational thought, of course there was nothing Havok could do against Aretha.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Elijah couldn't hide the shaking in his voice, the unknown implications of what Miles meant terrified him.

"This entire war was part of the most complex orchestrated conflict ever created by the Corporations. You've been played for a fool, as has every single Raven."

It was like Elijah was developing tunnel vision, the world felt like it was closing in on him.

_I don't… It… What… What does that even mean?!_

Miles continued, still advancing on him but Elijah was rooted to the spot, desperate for an explanation.

"The goal was to be the reversal of a mistake made decades ago. The Corporations were wrong to give the Ravens independence so we decided to bring the Ravens back under our control. Eventually we realised that starting from scratch was easier. So after months and months of planning and investment, we finally had a solution to our problem."

He couldn't believe he was hearing this. They thought that the Raven's independence was a mistake? That it shouldn't have happened?

"Of course, even the best made plans will go wrong, I made sure of that."

Elijah couldn't resist the bait.

"You made sure of that?"

Miles laughed before answering, "Do you honestly think that Rayleonard and Rosenthal planned to be wiped off the face of the Earth? No, originally I was to be the one to declare war on the Ravens on behalf of all the Corporations. Then, every other Corporation would use their combined might to destroy you and your Ark."

Aretha now stood directly in front of him, looming like a giant about to crush him. Havok took an unsteady step backwards

"Behind their backs I made my own changes to the plan, to ensure that I would put GA firmly ahead in the ensuing fight. As this war unfolded, Ms. Capello contacted me when they saw what was left of Exavil, choosing to surrender before her neck was on the chopping block. She helped to make changes to the final stages of our scheme to make sure that the surviving and active Ravens were sent here to eventually fight me under the guise of arresting me."

If Elijah wasn't sitting he would have needed a chair at this point. His whole body was shaking and there was nothing he could do about it.

_Leonemeccanica… They were in on it. They all were. Every one of them wanted us dead and gone…_

Elijah never even noticed Aretha move, it wasn't even a particularly fast or violent motion, he was just too distracted to realise. Miles effectively poked Havok in the chest with the rotary gun system, knocking him down onto his back.

"It's quite disheartening to see you like this." Miles' voice sounded anything but disheartened, it was almost shivering with excitement. "No leg to stand on when everything you believed was a lie. You still haven't answered my earlier question, have you? Why don't you try and think real hard about it?"

Elijah wanted to be sick, bile was burning in his throat.

"How many bodies did you have to walk over to get here? Where even is here? What is the end result of all your killing?"

He'd never questioned Leonemeccanica's orders, no matter how much he hated those orders he followed them regardless. How many times had he turned missions down just because a civilian population was near the combat area? Why was it now that he so willingly cut those same innocents down in droves?

"Actually," Miles continued as he walked Aretha forwards until the machine was literally standing over Havok. "I have a better question, one I think you'll be able answer with no uncertainty."

The red optic of Aretha burned into his eyes.

"How much did it cost to make you kill this time?"

_I did it for free._

That was it. Elijah's stomach overturned and he threw up down his front, over the controls with some splattering onto the main monitor. All he could hear as he retched again and again, dry heaving bile up, was Miles' uncontrollable laughter.

"How pathetic, tell me Raven, what did you used to dream of? Was there anything you ever wanted? I would at least like to take that away from you before I kill you."

A fresh wave of panic flowed through him.

"Wait… Kill me? I thought… I thought the plan needed me alive to bring you in?"

A long sigh preceded the reply, "You should have learnt by now, plans can change and there are still other Ravens who could make i-"

He stopped short, pausing before saying, "Oh… It seems like Thermidor has fallen, that's a shame. I was looking forward to killing him myself. Well, I guess somebody has to put a rabid dog down."

_Maximilian is dead?!_

That was a welcome distraction from the burning smell of vomit that filled his cockpit, it was a small relief to know that black AC would never kill again. However, he didn't know the circumstances of his death. There was every possibility he had taken any number of Raven's lives before his own end.

Elijah's mind wandered to Sajjan before he reactively shut that train of thought down. _He doesn't care about me anymore, why the fuck should I care if he's dead or not._

"Will any of your friends arrive before you die? I do wonder…"

He debated saying something back but that would have achieved nothing. There was no reason to resist at this point. His allies and enemies were one and the same, Tom was dead and Sajjan blamed him for it.

The friends that Miles spoke of didn't exist anymore, either dead or forgotten. He was right, this whole time he'd be fighting for something that was broken all along and not once did he see it.

"You still haven't given me an answer, Raven." Muttered Miles, now sounding bored, like Elijah was inconveniencing him.

"I… I…" Elijah could barely speak, his mouth was dry and bitter, his head full of noise that he couldn't shut out.

_…_ _At least I'm not lying to myself…_

Elijah had willingly allowed the wool to cover his eyes, to just accept that this was the way things had to be.

_…How much blood is on your hands…_

He didn't want to face them, the broken bleeding bodies left behind as he'd carved a burning path of destruction through families and friends.

_I'm… I'm a monster. I'm no better than he is._

"I wanted to… to be…" He croaked the words out, too low for Miles to actually hear him.

"What was that? You're going to need to speak up."

_…_ _When you've got your back to the wall and nothing left to fight for, you can fight for that…_

The memory flooded in unbidden, but in that dark hole with Aretha glaring down at him, he welcomed the tiny spark he saw.

"I wanted…" There it was, he'd almost forgotten but that burning desire he had once cherished came flowing back, the spark catching, becoming a precious flame.

_…With nothing else on the table, at least you can aim high and say you fought for what you wanted…_

There was only one way he walked away from this and it would be on his own strength, no one else could be counted on anymore. If he was to achieve his dream, no matter the consequence, then the only choice was to embrace this monster he'd become.

After all…

… _W_ _e are little more than animals on a leash..._

He shifted Havok's weight, moving it all onto his right elbow. Miles noticed immediately, "What are you doing? I said speak up, not to move. Keep that up and I'll end you before you even know what hit you!"

… _Monsters who corrupt others to become monsters themselves…_

Elijah only had a second or two to move before Aretha would crush him, at this range there was little Miles could do but batter him with the sheer weight of his weapons as their length meant they were virtually useless in a close-quarters fight.

Pulling Havok's left arm back, he prepared himself to make a choice.

Aretha lifted its rotary cannon high, ready to crush him, "Fine! Have it your way Raven! Die here alone, I'll let someone else do the work!"

… _You know what will happen if you don't change course…_

Elijah wasn't going to change course anymore, because without his dream there was nothing to stop Miles from killing him. Mary had been right, he had nothing left on his table but himself. So he'd fight for what he wanted and nothing else.

… _You won't like what you find if you keep going…_

He had seen the result of this choice and knew it was inevitable if he went through with this. If Elijah chose what he wanted over what he should do, he'd become a sad, dying, broken man alone in a hospital bed. That wasn't what a good man would do. But as someone told him…

Good men are like a myth now.

Elijah's choice was made as Aretha's weapon reached the highest point, Miles only an instant away from crushing him.

"I wanted to be the Ninebreaker!"

He thrust out with his left arm as hard as he physically could, driving the pointed frame of his machine gun into the flank of Aretha, the armour plating buckling inwards under the intense pressure. Elijah let go of the right control column, placing both on the left and pushing with all of his might as weapon was driven almost all the way through Miles' AC.

"What?! What are you doing?! What have you done?!" The change in tone was immediate as every word was laced with panic.

Elijah released the machine gun that was now firmly embedded into Aretha. The AC's right arm dropped but instead of falling like a hammer onto Havok, it simply hung limp at Aretha's side, the fingers slackening enough that the colossal rotary cannon system slipped from its grasp, dropping to the ground with a dull thud.

The massive machine staggered backwards away from Havok as Elijah pushed the AC to its feet, using the remaining right hand machine gun to prop himself up.

Miles' composure was completely gone as he tried to back away from Elijah as fast possible. "What the hell is wrong with you!? What have you done to Aretha?!"

It dawned on him that Aretha's PA never reacted to him stabbing Miles' AC, there was no flare of golden lightning or shimmering particles. The machine gun had passed through without resistance.

Aretha levelled the Kojima cannon at Havok, the familiar dirty yellow charge arcing along each prong, discharging into the ground around it.

"I'll kill you, I'll fucking kill you!"

Miles was almost rabid now, his descent into near-madness almost complete as the realisation of his vulnerability set in.

Elijah charged Havok's OB for a split second, before firing it. He flash stepped forwards, the Kojima bolt passing him on his right. Kicking off from the ground, he used the momentum to almost clear the twenty meter AC, but before he actually sailed over it, he grabbed onto the fixed headpiece of Aretha, the force of the motion causing him to slam into the AC's back.

"What?! Get… Get off me! What are you doing to me?!"

He found a foothold by driving the tips of Havok's feet into Aretha's back, crushing armour and boosters while pulling himself up.

Miles was flailing about below him, discharging Kojima bolts in the walls and ceiling in a vain effort to dislodge Havok from his back. However Elijah was having none of it, swinging the right hand machine gun down into the upper side of Aretha's core, creating an anchoring point for him to finally reach the point he wanted.

"Raven stop! This isn't part of the plan! You can take me in! Just stop! Please!"

"My name," Elijah almost snarled back, "Is Elijah Thomson. I am the number nineteen rank B Raven and pilot of the AC Havok!" With his left hand, he grabbed the head of Aretha, pulling up on the front with as much might as his could put into the limb.

"I told myself years ago, that I would become the Ninebreaker and prove to the world that I am the best and you will not get in my way! No one will! If innocents have to die then so fucking be it! You want me to count the bodies behind me? Imagine the thousands ahead of me!"

"No! Stop, please! Please don't do this! Elijah!? Raven!? Stop!" He ignored the begging and pleading, continuing to pull and pull. Something was flashing on a secondary monitor but at this point he may as well have been wearing blinkers. Nothing mattered but ripping Aretha's head off.

"I'll do anything! Anything you want! Just don't do this please! Please!" He wasn't sure if Miles was crying or not, but it didn't matter as the metal around Aretha's neck began to give way under the pressure. "Why!? Why would you do this?!"

"Because," Elijah began as he pulled to the point where his own arms began to strain, "Ninebreakers are monsters. You're a monster just like me and that makes you competition, I can't allow the competition to live!"

"You're fucking insane! Stop this!"

Aretha's neck finally gave way as the metal relented, the head sailing away from the force Elijah was exerting. At the same time though, he'd forgotten the engineer's warning back on the Venture.

Havok's left elbow came apart, the joint splitting down the middle. The forearm was still connected, but it was swinging freely, attached by nothing but cabling and hydraulic lines. Elijah paid it no mind though, he didn't need the arm anymore.

"Don't do this! You can't think this is right?! Can you?! This isn't the right thing to do!"

"You're right," Hissed Elijah through gritted teeth, "It's not the right thing to do, but it's what I want to do. If you've all played me for a fool all this time. Killed my friends, burned my home, I think you should fucking know why I want this, because you've earned it!"

Pulling the machine gun free of Aretha's core, he steadied himself against the AC's back, shifting so that he could hold the weapon high, pointed at the place the machine's head once was.

"This is the end result of your war! This is where all your killing got to! The tens of thousands you murdered, I hope they are more forgiving than I am!"

"No! Please! Don't! N-"

Elijah moved Havok with a single fluid motion.

He drove the machine gun into the opening, driving it in as far as possible. The weapon began to break apart under the enormous weight of Havok pushing down but the firing mechanism remained intact.

His connection to Miles was cut as the channel died with him, the cockpit pierced by the frame of Havok's machine gun. Elijah squeezed the trigger, the muffled roar of the weapon resounding through his AC's cockpit before it clicked, the magazine finally dry.

Letting go of the machine gun, Havok fell backwards, crashing to the ground. But Elijah didn't move, he allowed himself the time to just, stop.

It was over, it was all over. Everything. GA's war, the Ravens, the life they had all been able to comfortably live. It was finished.

Slowly, he rolled Havok over, shakily getting to his feet despite only having the use of one arm and began the slow walk back to the service elevator. Reaching up, he cut his connection to the networked channel that had been jammed while he had been in the thick radiation generated by the 00-Aretha.

As he stepped onto the platform, he turned to look at the still standing frame, defiant in its own way, still standing despite its wounds and the two machine guns embedded in it. The front armour had split completely open, either from the force of the weapon being driven into the neck or the subsequent firing.

But he could see into the ruined cockpit, the remains of Miles Torus flowed out, dripping onto the floor. Elijah remoted the elevator, beginning an unsteady ascent.

He was so glad in an unnatural, broken way, unable to stop the tears rolling down his face. Time to leave it all behind, although in a sense that wasn't entirely correct, because for that to be right, you needed something to leave behind. This war had taken everything.

Elijah had nothing.


	22. Hopeless Again

The hatch that sealed White Glint's cockpit had fused shut, meaning that Sajjan had resorted to simply kicking the top of the cockpit in an attempt to break it open. In the darkness of the cockpit, only a few streams of light made their way in through the breached cockpit, behind the mess of mangled monitors and cabling.

When Unsung detonated, Sajjan had gotten clear of the blast just enough that his AC's armour took the brunt of the explosion. However it wasn't quite the distance needed to entirely survive in one piece. He didn't know the exact state of White Glint but the fact that even his auxiliary power was out, suggested it wasn't in the best of states.

To compensate for his lack of communications via his AC, he had resorting to using a small earpiece linked to his phone that was connected to the networked channel. It wasn't a particularly pretty way around his problem but it was functional at best. The lack of a visual UI was debilitating at best because he couldn't see who was on the network or their status.

"How're you doing?" Fiona was somewhat tinny through the tiny earpiece, "Make any headway yet?"

Sajjan kicked again, a tiny crack of light filtering in, "Almost… Almost there!" His legs were hurting from piloting already, let alone this. Anymore and it felt like his right knee was going to give out. "What's the situation out there? Is it over?" If there was still fighting going on, he couldn't hear it. But even in its current state, sitting in the cockpit was safer than sticking his head out and getting caught by a stray round.

"No it's done, it's finished. Prometheus and the remaining Leonemeccanica forces are rounding up any who surrendered. The fighting is over so you should be safe."

Another kick, the crack of light grew brighter. "Good, good. Has there been any word from Elijah?" Sajjan feared the answer, but listened closely regardless. If he came out of this, then there was a chance that things would get better, that they could try and at least begin to repair the cracks that had grown between them.

He'd cling to that hope with all the strength he had left.

"Nothing yet, I've had no contact with Havok since he began looking for Miles, the radiation in the lower levels cut us off."

Gritting his teeth, he kicked again, the muscles in his legs burning. "What about the teams searching Maxwell? Have they found anything?" Surely they had to see some evidence of Elijah's whereabouts, it was impossible for him to just disappear off the face of the Earth.

There was a short pause before, "Lorenza ordered a halt on all investigation inside Maxwell until we can do something about the radiation levels. She doesn't want to risk contamination."

"Damn it!" He gave one last kick, the seal around the cockpit hatch splitting completely, the head of White Glint creaking as it opened away from the core. Sajjan wished he could enjoy the fresh air, but instead he was greeted by a filthy acrid stench, warm and sickening.

It filled his nose with a burning, a bitter metallic taste in his mouth.

Columns of smoke stretching into the air from the machines scattered around them. The sun had gone dim and the sky was grey, sunlight unable to break through the cloud layer.

Coughing slightly, he eased himself out of the hatch, looking at the outside of his AC for the first time since leaving the Venture. It was actually worse than he'd imagined.

Virtually every single piece of frontal armour plating or external framework was either missing or blackened and broken beyond recognition. The remaining arm had been shorn away at the elbow and the right leg was entirely missing.

He didn't want to admit it, but at this point there was no saving White Glint. This machine would never walk again.

A short distance away he could see the crater left by Unsung's suicide attack. There wasn't a trace of the black AC left no matter how hard he looked. The destruction was so complete, that even the smoke from the blast had disappeared.

From where he was, Phantom's motionless frame was visible. Due to its proximity to Unsung when Maximilian self-destructed, it had been blown away from its previous resting point. Sajjan wanted to believe that maybe Sara wasn't dead and that she'd moved the AC herself, but it was optimism even he couldn't muster now.

Turning around, he saw Prometheus walking with a group of GO-G3s and a small complement of tanks. They were heading towards the Venture that was sitting not even ten meters off the ground. A large series of platforms were lowering and raising with tanks and troops on, mostly GA prisoners of war as well as damaged MTs and vehicles.

All of the enemy MTs had been disarmed, their weapons either destroyed or taken from them and thrown into a growing pile.

Fiona's voice shocked Sajjan out of his daze, "Wait Sajjan, something is moving inside Maxwell!"

His head snapped in the direction of the large door that Elijah had entered, wanting so desperately to believe that what Fiona had seen was Havok emerging from that darkness.

"Prometheus, cover Maxwell's entrance! Just in case it's a hostile!"

Tearing his eyes away, he saw Mary's AC, whip around, breaking away from the group she was with, advancing on the entrance with both weapons raised.

Her voice came over the earpiece, "I'm all over it! I can definitely see something moving, it looks like an AC!"

Sajjan's heart was going a million miles an hour, he just needed to know.

"It's moving outs- Confirming! It's Havok!"

True to Fiona's words, the red and black AC slowly strode out of the black and into the gloomy light.

_Thank goodness he's… Oh… Oh no…_

His train of thought derailed when he focused on what he was actually seeing, the state of Elijah's AC becoming clear.

The most immediately visible damage was the left arm, broken at the elbow and hanging from wiring and scraps of metal. Sections of armour were warped and distorted, particularly across Havok's chest where it looked like someone had taken a power-hammer to it, horrifically crushed and buckled inwards.

Havok carried none of its weapons, neither the AS missile systems or the machine guns it held in each hand. Badly beaten and battered, Elijah's AC looked miserable, a significant amount of its paint and colouring had been chipped away as well.

"Why… Why isn't he saying anything?" said Sajjan quietly as he became aware of the silence. Something wasn't right.

A good few seconds passed before he got an answer, "I don't know, he's not part of the network anymore. He must have disconnected manually…"

_Manually disconnected? What would cause him to do that?_

"I'm requesting a com channel, I'll link you in if he accepts." Fiona went quiet, leaving Sajjan to nothing but wait.

"Hey Sajjan, what the fuck is wrong with Elijah? Why did he drop off the network?" Mary asked like he had an answer. He wished dearly that he could give one but he was just as confused.

"He's accepted a channel, I'm hooking both you in!" Fiona's shout did nothing to calm his nerves, an unfamiliar twisting growing in his gut.

A slight crackle signalled the connection being moved to another channel, but he still didn't hear Elijah saying anything. -149

"Havok, this is your Operator, what is your status?" Fiona called out, but even after nearly fifteen seconds, only silence came back at them.

She repeated herself, "Havok, this is your Operator, what is your status?"

Still nothing. Worry took root in Sajjan's mind, the possibilities of what happened to Elijah running wild.

"Hey Elijah! Say something, come on!" Mary joined in, her shouting clipping out over the channel as Sajjan's earpiece struggled to cope with the volume.

"Havok, please respond!"

"Come on Elijah! Speak!"

"Havok I need a status report!"

"Fucking say something!"

Sajjan stepped in as well, "Elijah please, just let us know you he-"

"Just fucking shut up! All of you shut up!"

They all fell quiet as Elijah's voice rang out loud and clear, stunning them all. Something was definitely wrong, Sajjan could only wonder what happened inside Maxwell.

No one wanted to say anything, but Fiona had no choice while working as the group's Operator. "Havok, what is your status? We need to know what happened in there."

There was no answer, the com channel crackle being the only noise he could hear. Sajjan pushed through the rapidly building anxiety in his stomach, "Elijah? We just want to know what happened."

A long pause followed before, "What happened? Why the fuck would you care?"

That was like a sucker punch he didn't see coming, driving all cohesive thought from his mind.

Fiona spoke next, "Please just answer the questi-" A loud hiss cut Fiona off, leaving Sajjan in the dark as he had no idea what had happened until another voice joined them.

"Havok, this is Lorenza."

Sajjan, still shaken by Elijah's words began to pay attention again as Lorenza's tone caught his ear.

"Where is Miles Torus?"

Silence. He'd been so concerned with Elijah's condition that it never occurred to him that Havok stepped out of Maxwell alone. He was with no other MT and he didn't have GA's CEO in tow on foot either.

Lorenza pushed again, beginning to sound genuinely angry, "Havok this is a direct order, tell me where Miles Torus is."

The head on Havok tilted up slightly to look up at the Venture before Elijah spoke, "What right do you have to give me orders? What fucking right?!" he could hear laboured breathing on the other end, but he didn't know who it was. -150 Elijah continued, "I'll tell you where you can find Miles, if he's that fucking important to you!"

There was nothing Sajjan could say at this point, he could only listen to what he would never have believed, unless he heard it from Elijah's mouth alone.

"You can scrape what's left of him out of Aretha! He's dead, you hear?! I fucking killed him!"

Sajjan's heart couldn't have sunk any lower as Elijah's words repeated over and over in his head. He didn't want to believe it, he couldn't imagine that his friend was capable of, what was undeniably, murder. Elijah had been ordered to bring Miles in alive, admitting to killing him was equal to an unlawful killing, no matter the situation.

"You did what?!" Lorenza sounded genuinely shocked, her voice breaking slightly which didn't help Sajjan, the earpiece crackling under the volume.

Elijah was shouting back, "You heard me! I fucked your plans up royally didn't I!? I'm talking about the deal you made with GA!"

The silence that followed was absolute. The only thing Sajjan could hear was the wind gently blowing around him as he stared at Havok.

_Lorenza… She had a deal with GA?_

It was Elijah that broke the calm, "Why don't you let everyone else in on it, huh? Why don't you tell everyone how you caved the moment Exavil fell? That this entire time you'd been pulling the same strings as Miles! That we were meant to be the only target all along!"

Prometheus moving caught Sajjan's attention, she kept her sniper rifle trained on Havok, but turned to look at the Venture, as if she could see Lorenza even from there. "Hey," she began, "What the fuck is he talking about? Is he telling the truth? We were the targets and you were in on this shit?!"

Fiona's voice rang out clear but distant over Lorenza's line, "Is that fucking true?! Are all those dead your fault?! You fu-"

"Security, restrain and silence her." At Lorenza's command, Fiona's voice was cut short, no longer audible. Everything was falling apart, nothing made sense anymore.

"What the hell is going on!? Operator!? Operator, can you hear me!" Mary's shouts were unanswered, Lorenza continuing as if nothing had happened.

"Elijah, I don't know what happened down there but you need to stop this. If you killed Miles you realise that is a direct violation of orders and will be held as an unsanctioned civilian casualty. You will b-"

"I won't listen to this shit from a lying coward like you! If you think you can stand up there and preach to me about what's right and wrong then you're just as much of a fucking hypocrite as I am!"

Havok took a step forward, "You're all nothing but scum! Disgusting traitors all too happy to drive a knife into the backs of people that trusted you, all for money! I made a promise to myself that I'd see my dream to the end, no matter what and the Corporations took that dream from me. So you listen to me, all of you!"

Prometheus' head whipped between the Venture and Havok like she was unsure who the real enemy was.

_No. No this is all wrong, it can't be true. If we can't rely on the Corporations, what do we have?_

Elijah had clearly asked himself the same question, coming up with an answer that Sajjan couldn't accept. Like this, there was nothing Sajjan could do to stop him.

"I will never again work under you, I will fight you at every turn, every corner! Every war you start, every battlefield you create, I'll be there to kill every last one of you! I will carve my way through your armies, through your cities, slaughtering anyone that stands in my way until I can see the light go out in your eyes!"

Elijah's AC took another, unwavering step towards Prometheus and the Venture, "This is the obligation I hold myself to. I will burn all you hold dear to ash in front of you, just like you all did to me! I will never give up, until you stop breathing, or I do!"

The shaking in Sajjan's knees and the sickness churning inside him was enough to force him to sit down, his entire body shivering.

He had to do something, say something, anything! He forced the words out, "Elijah… Elijah please don't do this, just… Just step out of Havok and we can talk about th-"

Before he could finish, Elijah cut him off, "You want to talk? You want to talk now!? Now that it's convenient for you, you feel like talking now?! Too fucking late! I don't need to hear what you have to say. I already know what you think of me, so don't even dare to think you can speak to me!"

Mary clearly made her mind up as she lowered the rifle pointed at Havok, her attention entirely focused on the Venture now. "I have no goddamn idea what is going on but I think you've got some fucking explaining to do Lorenza! If you're responsible for any of this shit…"

Before she could carry on, Lorenza's voice rang out clear, "Prometheus, your orders still stand, point your weapons away from the Venture and target Havok. He is the threat here, not us."

"I ain't doing shit until you talk!" Mary didn't budge, Sajjan wished he could do something but just like then, just like when they were forced to watch the Ark fall and Thomas was taken from them, he could do nothing.

"Is that so? Does the name Kasper Waldron ring any bells?" Her voice was almost dripping with a sickening tone. Whatever this name meant, she knew it held weight.

Mary's reaction was instant, "What… How…" Even from where Sajjan sat, he could see the long barrel of Prometheus' sniper rifle twitching.

"As BFF's contract manager, he kindly made some alterations to your contract. In addition to a full extension of another three years, we are now listed as co-holders of your contract, meaning as of today you serve both BFF and Leonemeccanica. You legally belong to me and the same conditions of that contract still stand. So if you want your dearest mother and daughter to keep receiving the care that keeps them alive, you will obey me."

Mary said nothing, but both her weapons lowered as Prometheus stared at the ground, unmoving. -151

Lorenza continued, sounding genuinely pleased, "Good, now Prometheus, destroy Havok."

As Mary's AC began to slowly turn, Elijah shouted out, "There it is! That's what you're fighting for. There was nothing for us. It was never for us, they wanted the Ravens back under their control and they've done just that. Congratu-fucking-lations Sajjan Singh, I hope you're happy. I hope it was fucking worth it!"

Prometheus levelled her sniper rifle at Havok, quietly saying, "I'm sorry Elijah, I can't do the right thing here…"

"No Mary, don't do it! Don't!" Sajjan shouted, reaching out in vain, wishing with all his might that he could stop her.

Elijah matched her tone, calm, "Don't worry, I couldn't either."

Prometheus fired a single shot, the crack of the rifle ringing out far and wide. Havok, in the seconds preceding the shot, sunk low, its OB suddenly charged.

Elijah shot forwards, flash stepping towards Mary's AC in an instant, the damaged left forearm ripping away due to the acceleration and falling to the ground. The shot that she fired slamming into Havok's right shoulder, doing little but taking out a chunk of armour plating.

A moment later, Elijah swung Havok's fist, the blow solidly connecting with Prometheus' head, smashing her optics and blinding her AC.

"Shit," Cursed Lorenza, now shouting to the command centre staff, "Get us off the ground and bring main guns to bear! Vaporise him!"

But it was too late, by the time the Venture even started to lift off the ground, Havok had turned around, away from both it and Maxwell, the armour around its OB open.

He could have sworn, in that last moment, he saw the AC's head turn, the glowing red optic's gaze burning into him.

Havok's OB flared to life and an instant later, it burned away, towards the horizon. -152

"Follow that AC, bring us around and full ahead!"

Sitting on the broken body of White Glint, Sajjan's mind scrambled to think of what he could do. _He won't make it, Havok's OverBoost will run dry in only seconds… She'll kill him. She's going to kill him if she gets the chance… I… I need to…_

"Lorenza! Do not pursue Elijah, please don't!" Sajjan had one card left to play. The last thing he could offer. He had failed his friend and driven him away, this was the only thing he could do to help Elijah.

Her voice came back frustrated, "What is it? Are you trying to give me orders? I'm more than happy to burn you off the face of the Earth if you're trying to get in my way."

"No, I'm trying to make an offer!"

"An offer?" There was a short pause, Sajjan's gut was twisting but he ignored it now, knowing that this was the right thing to do.

"Yes, a trade if you will… If you spare Elijah, you can have me…"

Silence, then, "Have you? Explain."

Through gritted teeth he spat, "Let Elijah live and… and I'll sign a contract with you. Take me instead of his life."

He waited, the silence on the line was unbearable. The Venture carried on with its turn, the rumble from its engines growing louder and louder.

Then, "Cancel manoeuvre, bring us to a halt."

If Sajjan could have sighed any harder…

"He has twenty four hours, no longer." He wished that she'd give him more time, but a day was at least enough for Elijah to find somewhere to hide. But Lorenza wasn't finished.

"Also, I don't need a contract from you. The contract system is being… Overhauled, should we say. We have something much better planned for you and all the other former Ravens.

Fear clutched his heart. _Former Ravens?_

But Sajjan never got to find out what this plan was, as the networked com channel was shut down.

There was nothing to do now, but sit and wait. Sajjan wished things could have been different, that everything had worked out. Through everything, through all the wars, the fighting, the senseless killing, he had truly believed that they were moving forwards. He had fervently wished to do right by the world, that maybe everything would mean something in the end.

He had hoped so dearly.

But that hope was gone.


	23. Epilogue: ...And All That Could Have Been

Sajjan sat at the foot of the bed, staring at the paper in his hands, unwilling to believe the words printed on it. He should have known to expect this, but some part of him had wanted to think that maybe it was nothing serious.

Of course, coughing up blood with increasing regularity over the period of just a few months and severe fatigue would always be a cause for concern. He'd been forced to see a doctor, who had referred him to an oncologist.

What he held was the results from several visits over the past month, all of the tests and trails resulting in this.

He assumed that he had been irradiated at Maxwell, when he had opened White Glint's cockpit, exposing himself to the particles in the air left by Unsung's overloaded generator.

_It looks like Maximilian will be the one to kill me after all, if someone doesn't beat him to the punch._

He threw the letter onto the growing pile on the floor, most of it was advertisement and marketing, nonsense stuffed through the mail slot without thought.

Sajjan didn't want to admit it, but this was a problem he couldn't surmount. As of now, with only eighteen months maximum left, his goal had a timer and his body was the bomb.

Usually today he'd be visiting Jan in the nearby hospital. They'd pulled him out of Blind Bold with a broken back and his legs, for lack of a better word, destroyed by the high-velocity armour piercing rounds that Thermidor loaded his gunblade with.

The doctors had done what they could, but his nervous system was shot and the prosthetic limbs were unable to function, leaving him wheelchair bound at best, bed ridden during the bad days.

Those bad days had been getting worse and worse as the medication failed to cut through the pain. Then last week Sajjan learned that Jan had grown tired of the pain, driving a splintered piece of plastic from his food tray into his neck.

He left a note saying that he couldn't live in what the world had become, that without his legs there was no way for him to fight the system. So he chose to remove himself from it.

Sajjan didn't blame him, he just wished he still had a friend to talk to.

His door latch clicked open, dragging him out of his thoughts. Without warning, a pair of men in black suits walked in. One was presumably the messenger and the other was protection of sorts due to the large physical difference between them.

The shorter, balding man who stood in front of the other walked forwards, looking around the messy and cluttered room.

"So this is how you people live. Disappointing…" He muttered.

Sajjan looked up, "It's temporary. Who are you?" He asked, voice low and guarded. Not recognising either of the men. But the fact they had access to his room meant he could at least guess who sent them.

"I'm not obligated to tell you, Lynx. I'm just here to give you a mission." The man took an envelope out of his blazer inside pocket and held it out.

Sajjan's face had a weak grin on it, he still hated being called that. It was always a word that was spat out at him, never with respect.

Lynx.

A lot had changed in five months, things were run very differently now. Only days after the end of GA's war, the term Raven no longer applied to people like Sajjan, former Ravens who had survived the fighting and agreed to serve the Corporations absolutely.

Those still called Ravens were outcasts, rebels, terrorists who resisted the rule put in place.

A new organisation was created to keep the Lynx in line, one that answered the Corporations alone, with no consideration for those in their care.

It was called Collard, a twisted play on 'collared'. The Ravens wings had been clipped and a vicious collar tied around their necks. They existed only to fight for the Corporations now, although they had a second purpose, one that they had to prioritise over all else.

The Lynx were trained to hunt down and kill Ravens, as they posed the greatest threat to the Corporation's power.

To do this, the Corporations had accelerated development into new AC frames, referred to as NEXTs using Kojima Particle technology created by AkvaVit and perfected by Omer Science Division. The same technology that had now assured his death.

NEXTs were faster, stronger and were equipped with Primal Armour, the name given to the protective shield that both Berlioz and Maximilian had used.

The Corporations themselves no longer resembled the ones that existed back then, at least on the surface. Those that were still operating had made a worldwide broadcast, announcing the creation of The League of Corporations, posing themselves as a new and unified front that would prevent another war like the one GA started ever breaking out.

They told everyone, that it would allow for the Corporations to be more easily held accountable for their actions.

Of course, it was all lies.

Behind the scenes, far from the public eye, the Corporations continued to act as independent powers, fighting to fill the void left by Rayleonard's fall. Omer Science Technology had acquired the entire wealth and power of Rosenthal when Silverlight was destroyed, leaving the former Corporation to function as a hollow shell, a puppet.

Around the same time, a Corporation calling itself Global Armaments Europe went public, declaring themselves independent from the now known to be American branch.

The accountability that the League promised never existed, each Corporation covering the others back, alibis appearing out of thin air, scapegoats produced at will. There was no justice in this world, a world where the criminals and the law were the same person.

The man waved the envelope again, "Hey, take it." Glowering at the man, he took it and ripped it open, pulling what looked like a certificate of some kind.

In the centre, instantly catching his attention were words embossed in gold.

_'The League of Corporations recognises:_ _Lynx Sajjan Singh_ _as the Ninebreaker and highest ranking Lynx'_

There wasn't a moment's hesitation, he folded the certificate in half, before tearing it in two. "I decline. It doesn't mean anything anymore. Not to me."

The man shrugged, "I don't really care. We were going to give it to Mary Shelly, but she's been missing for nearly four days. Sahdana isn't responding to our requests, leaving you as the highest ranking Lynx. I guess we'll give it to Gerald then."

Sajjan's attention was piqued, "Do you know what's happened to Mary?" He'd been speaking to her the week before and she hadn't mentioned anything out of the ordinary to him.

"We're unsure, but she managed to steal her old AC meaning we couldn't stop her with a failsafe. There is no certainty in this theory, but we assume she has defected to Line Ark."

At that, Sajjan gave a small smile.

Line Ark. An anti-establishment group that went public a month ago, their leader making an illegal broadcast declaring their intention to challenge the League's power by any means necessary.

Only a select few could guess at the man leading that group, a Raven determined to destroy the League and everything they stood for.

Sajjan still owed him an apology.

Looking up at the man still standing in his room, he asked, "Was that it?" If possible he wanted to get a few more hours sleep.

"No, the League has need of you. We have a new Lynx starting today, they need a supervisor to go out with them for their live-fire test."

Sajjan raised an eyebrow at that, "You're using me as a glorified babysitter?"

"Are you talking back to me Lynx? I dearly hope not." The man cleared his throat before continuing, "We've had reports of a Raven attacking League positions over the last few days. The rookie's objective is to go out with you and kill the Raven before they cost us any more money. The fewer Ravens out there the better."

Nodding slowly, Sajjan asked, "Are they ready to go now? I don't want to have to wait around."

"She's ready to go, in fact she's waiting in the hanger for you. We're here to take you there. You can read her file on the way there." He took a tablet computer off the large man behind him, throwing it onto the bed next to Sajjan.

With a wry grin, Sajjan gave a short bitter laugh, "Wonderful, my own escort."

"Shut up and put a jumpsuit on, we'll be outside." At that, the pair of them turned around and left, shutting the door behind them.

Picking up the thrown tablet, Sajjan stared at the information on it.

_Alice Hutchinson?_

He didn't recognise her name, but in a strange way, her face reminded him of someone long dead. He shook it off as he continued reading.

She was old enough to have been born just before the Great Destruction and had signed up to fight as part of Rayleonard's ground forces shortly before turning twenty. She was put on the frontlines, eventually being picked to be part of Rayleonard's Special Forces group.

It was there she remained for two years before GA's war. When Rayleonard fell, she was transferred to Omer Science Technology's newly founded Tactical Assault team. Five months later, the League selected her to be a Lynx.

He was sure that she'd be perfect for what the League wanted, a soldier already comfortable with killing, willing to step up to whatever job they needed. He'd heard the stories about Rayleonard's SF teams, the operations they carried out.

Entire military positions, cleaned out with no trace. Population centres reduced to a radioactive crater. Any thorn in Rayleonard's side had been erased from existence by either Berlioz or their SF teams.

Sajjan dropped the tablet back onto the bed, walking to the broken wardrobe built into the wall.

He slipped into the black jumpsuit before walking to the door and opening it, both of the men standing with their arms folded across their chests, staring at him.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," he said not matching their gaze, "Let's go."

He hated every step he had to take in the League's name, every life he ended for their gain. But he knew that slowly, he was making his way forwards towards his own goal. A goal he valued more than his own life.

One day, he'd find him. He'd find him and bring him back from the path to self-destruction that he had chosen. It was the last thing Sajjan could fight for. So he'd fight with every ounce of strength he had.

Line Ark's announcement confirmed that he was alive, that somewhere, Elijah Thomson was still breathing.

That was enough for him to go on.

That was enough to fight for.

[-]

**_The End_ **

[-]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Afterword:
> 
> Well, there you have it. It took nearly 9 months to write this version of Armored Core: Burning Path, but in reality this story has been in progress from the moment I thought of writing at the beginning of 2009. I can safely say there was a part of me that thought I'd never manage to finish it but I am extremely happy to be able to say that this is finally complete and finished.
> 
> So at the end, I want to say thank you to all the readers and the reviewers of this fic, past, present and future, for taking the time to read this story. An extra special thanks goes to Py687 who has spent almost the past year editing this fic for the final version.
> 
> Anyone looking for more to this story, is more than welcome to read the currently ongoing Armored Core: Broken Wings, a prequel set 7 years before the events of Burning Path, following Berlioz as he is dragged into the downward self-destructive spiral that creates the man that Elijah idolizes.
> 
> Will there be a sequel to Burning Path? Perhaps. If it is ever to happen, it will certainly be when the editing process for Burning Path is complete.
> 
> Until then, thank you again, so very much.
> 
> -MrMasher


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